Leeds United handed Championship advantage as injury concern threatens crunch period

With yet another international break hiding around the corner like a pesky child, waiting to stick a leg out and trip up the momentum of teams, there's a renewed focus on a key week in the Championship. Most managers will play the "one game at a time" card, but with three matches to be played in a week before the league halts proceedings, there's some massive games ahead in the shake up at the top and bottom of the Championship table.

For Leeds United, it starts with a home match against Wayne Rooney's struggling Plymouth Argyle team, with Elland Road the venue for a game that Leeds will be expected to return three points in. Next up is a midweek trip to the capital to take on Millwall, followed by a home clash next Saturday with Queens Park Rangers.

Ahead of a key week, we look at some of the talking points which could emerge.

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Can anyone jump out from the pack?

With nine points on offer over the next week the league table could look markedly different during the international break. If any team can put a min run of three wins together they're going to be in a strong position, just as a blip at this stage can leave you with questions to answer and a difficult wo-week break to navigate.

Clubs will head into the international break with 15 games played, that's a third of the season gone. The shape of the league table has started to be formed and by the end of next weekend we should have a good idea of who the genuine runners and riders are.

As it stands there are eight clubs separated by just five points, with Sunderland the pacesetters with their own five point lead. There's a good chance the top nine will not be as close together in the table in a week's time, but who will hold their position and who will make a move?

Leeds' opportunity

The old adage says there's no easy games in the Championship, and that's true to an extent, but you'd still rather be playing a side in the bottom half than a promotion rival. The Whites have three games coming up which could well herald nine points if Daniel Farke's side play anything like to their potential.

With Plymouth Argyle (21st), Millwall (10th) and Queens Park Rangers (23rd) to play, Leeds' opponents in the next week have an average league position of 18th, which is significantly better than that of Burnley, who also face Millwall away, plus have games with West Bromwich Albion (5th) away and Swansea City (17th) at home.

There's an opportunity to pick up points and not just that, potentially put some space between themselves and one or two of the leading pack.

Injury concerns

A season that started with major question marks over who would be sticking around to play for Farke, has developed into a campaign where the question is who will be fit to play in Farke's line-up. Injuries have tested the Leeds boss so far this season and it's a test the Whites have passed. But with injuries and suspensions still biting, Leeds can ill-afford anymore and need to navigate the next week carefully and come through intact.