Jack Harrison highlights 'characteristics' that could seal Leeds United automatic promotion spot

Leeds moved back to the top of the Championship with Saturday's 2-0 win at home to Queens Park Rangers with the Whites then slipping back to second on goal difference behind Preston North End after the Lilywhites' 1-0 success at Charlton Athletic the following day.

United will drop back to third should West Brom win at bottom-of-the-table Stoke City tonight but on loan Manchester City winger Harrison believes his Whites have all the required ingredients to seal automatic promotion come May.

Having already played ten of the division's top half, six of United's next seven opponents are in the Championship's bottom half and Harrison has also stressed the importance of his men creating a comfortable points cushion for the season’s run in.

The Whites spent nearly all of last season in the Championship's two automatic promotion places only to fall away in the final month to finish third before a crushing end to the campaign against Derby County in the play-offs.

Assessing what it would take to finish in the top two one year on, Harrison reasoned: "I think with the team that we have got and the management and the work ethic that we all have as a club, I think those are the main characteristics.

"You see how we play, we play good football, we work hard, we are ruthless when we can be in attack and defensively as well so we just have to try and maintain this throughout the year.

"I think we have been a bit unfortunate with injuries here and there and a little bit last year too so if we can try and keep everybody fit then as long as we are playing the way that we play and we get the points that we deserve then we can definitely try and get promoted this year."

Asked about the importance of United's next haul of games against sides in the bottom half, Harrison said: "I think it's always important that we try and take each and every game the same way.

"We know how important it is to get points, we saw exactly what it meant last year as well after losing out at the very end.

"We know what we need to do and in each game we just try and capitalise on our opportunities to get points as much as possible."

Harrison proved instrumental to United's latest victory against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday with the 22-year-old setting up Tyler Roberts' first-half opener and then adding United's second himself eight minutes from time.

The Whites will be back in action for another Saturday 3pm kick-off this weekend against 16th-placed Blackburn Rovers and Harrison is hoping for the same again.

"Definitely, that would be nice," said the winger.

"It's going to be good for the team to prepare this week and not to get too caught up on everything that is going on in the league and just taking it game by game and staying focused."