Marcelo Bielsa seeks no excuses over Championship's rigorous demands in Leeds United's promotion push

Whites head coach Bielsa cut a dejected figure at Loftus Road on Tuesday evening after Leeds blew their opportunity to move back to the top of the division in falling to a 1-0 defeat at a Queens Park Rangers side who had lost their last seven league games.

Defeat in United’s game in hand left the Whites third and outside of the automatic promotion places via a worse goals difference than second-placed Sheffield United.

Leeds remain two points behind leaders Norwich City and only four ahead of tomorrow night’s visitors West Brom. The contest will present United’s third game in seven days following last Saturday’s 2-1 success at home to Bolton Wanderers but Bielsa gave short shrift to the idea of a 46-game season plus cup competitions providing any sort of excuse.

“It’s not difficult because all the teams are submitted to the same pace so we are all at the same level,” said Bielsa.

The Whites head coach also insisted that tomorrow night’s encounter against the Baggies would have been a key fixture even if his men had left Tuesday night’s clash in west London with all three points.

“If we had won the game it would have been important as well,” said Bielsa, asked how crucial the contest against the Baggies now became in light of the Rs defeat.

“All games are important but we can’t hide the points we lost.”

Leeds now have 12 games remaining with tomorrow night’s contest against West Brom followed by a trip to sixth-placed Bristol City next weekend.

After a visit to fourth-bottom Reading a week on Tuesday, Leeds then take on second-placed Sheffield United the following Saturday at Elland Road in the final game before the March international break.

The Whites would still move top with a victory tomorrow with Norwich away at Millwall on Saturday and the Blades visiting Sheffield Wednesday on Monday evening for the Steel City derby.