'A formality' - Adam Forshaw on Leeds United promotion bid and his own potential involvement

The midfielder, who went under the knife midway through the season to correct a complex hip issue, believes Leeds will come out 'all guns blazing' when they restart the season on June 21 at Cardiff City, in the first of the nine remaining behind closed doors games.

Leeds sit top of the table with a point between them and second-placed West Brom and a seven-point gap to Fulham in third.

The release of the fixtures this week was met with nervous excitement among fans, but Forshaw is supremely confident.

"I'm not worrying about the team," he said on the Leeds That podcast."I know how hard they train, both seasons under [Marcelo] Bielsa we've started like a house on fire and I think it'll be similar. I know nobody will have worked like the lads have.

"Although we'd love the fans in there I am really, really confident. I think a lot of teams that are in that no man's land in the league and teams flirting with relegation were all hoping that it was going to get scrapped. We've seen certain managers coming out in the last week or two saying the weekend of June 20 was too early, that just shows they weren't prepared enough.

"Pressure can be a funny thing for all teams. There will be no one as driven as us. I know how they train behind closed doors. It's going to be a formality for us, that's my personal view on it, I think we'll romp it. I believe we'll come out all guns blazing. No one will have worked as hard as we have. It's aligned really well for us, although unfortunately fans and even me might not be able to be in the stadium but the ultimate aim is promotion and I think we'll achieve it. I genuinely believe it. I'm not just saying it to put smiles on faces."

Last season Leeds looked in great shape to get promoted as they approached the final stages, but slipped out of the automatic promotion spots and lost in the play-off semi-final to Derby County, turning a dream season into a nightmare.

Forshaw is certain that lessons have been learned.

"Everyone, players, staff, fans, the media, with 12 games to go [last season] it was unbelievable, almost too excitable," he said.

"The excitement was almost bubbling too early, if I was going to be ultra critical. You just learn from the experience. I understand it because Leeds have been away from the Premier League for so long. But we know what happened last year, let's remember that, let's keep our heads and I think that's what the players have been doing. I think the fans have been a lot less excitable than the first time."

A lengthy break in the season might have played into Forshaw's hands, had the resumption not come so soon.

He won't be ready for June 21 and likely won't feature at all, unless there is a further delay in completing the games.

"Unfortunately I'm not going to be ready in time for the start of the games but I'm desperate to be there at the games if I can and support the lads," he said.

"They're in great shape and training well. It's exciting, it just feels like the start of a new season.

"Potentially [I could play before the end]. At the end of the day we don't know how long the games are going to take do we? I've probably got a realistic return date of around the very start of August. If everyone goes well with the games I probably won't play this season. But from a selfish point of view, if for any reason games might have to stop and start again I might nick a game or two at the end of the season."