Leeds United have been one of the most consistent teams in the Championship this campaign and whilst many of their rivals have dropped away, Garry Monk has kept his side firmly within reach of the play-offs.

The Whites have been in the top-six for coming onto three months which shows a remarkable amount of consistent form, despite the fact they have dropped points on occasions along the way.

But this weekend they come up against a very strong Brighton and Hove Albion side who have title aspirations of their own. A

fter Newcastle’s 3-1 home defeat to Fulham last weekend, top spot is very much there for the taking and Chris Hughton’s side might prove to be the toughest game of the season for the Whites.

But with home advantage firmly on their side, we’re tipping Leeds to surprise the Seagulls on the day at Elland Road, in-front of what’s expected to be a packed-out crowd.

So with that in mind, here’s the Leeds XI that we think will have enough to overcome Brighton this weekend…

GK: Rob Green

Fresh from making his 600th appearance in English football, Rob Green will go into the game on the back of an impressive clean sheet from the 0-0 draw against QPR last weekend.

Whilst it wasn’t the best result for the Whites on the day, they had veteran keeper Green to thank for keeping the score level.

RB: Charlie Taylor

With Luke Ayling set for a two-game ban for picking up ten yellow cards this season, responsibility falls on the shoulders of Charlie Taylor this weekend, who is expected to come back into the side.

Ayling has been absolutely superb for the Whites this season and he’ll be a big miss for one of the biggest games of the season but it’s a great chance for Taylor to impress on the big stage.

CB: Pontus Jansson

He’s the man with the magic hat and a player that has won the hearts of all Leeds United supporters this season.

Of course, we’re talking about Swedish defender Pontus Jansson who has been an absolute rock at the back this campaign and he’ll be a massive part of the game against the Seagulls.

CB: Kyle Bartley

Swansea loanee Kyle Bartley is another player that has hugely impressed in the Leeds XI this campaign and there’s no doubt he’ll be starting the game against Brighton.

Whether Leeds might make a permanent move for the former Arsenal trainee is yet to be seen but after looking at his performances this campaign already, he looks like he’d be a superb addition going forward.

LB: Gaetano Berardi

Feisty full-back Gaetano Berardi has brought himself back to full fitness and has slotted in seamlessly over the past few weeks for the Whites.

He’s a player who has got a temper on him, which he’d have to watch against the impressive Knockaert and co, but he’s certainly an individual that has the quality to stop the Brighton forwards on his day.

CDM: Liam Bridcutt

There’s absolutely no chance Leeds captain Liam Bridcutt won’t be starting the game against Brighton in one of the biggest games of the Championship season so far.

The former Sunderland man has added much-needed quality to the Whites midfield this campaign and his work is behind a lot of the good things Monk’s men have been doing over the past couple of weeks.

CDM: Ronaldo Viera

French midfielder Ronaldo Viera certainly has big boots to fill, and that’s just based on his name!

But the youngster has impressed with a serious of hard-hitting performances this season and he’s the sort of player that could break Brighton’s free-flowing football up in the middle-of-the-park, which could prove decisive on the day.

RM: Hadi Sacko

With Kemar Roofe having little to no effect during the 0-0 draw with QPR, we’d like to see Garry Monk really throw caution to the wind for the game against Brighton.

Hadi Sacko has been a tad inconsistent at times this season but when he’s been on it, he’s been very good indeed. The Brighton full-backs will be in a game with Sacko on the pitch that’s for sure.

CAM: Pablo Hernandez

Again, another player who didn’t have their best afternoon against QPR was veteran forward Pablo Hernandez.

But on his day, he can be a real matchwinner and his performance in the win over Cardiff City earlier this season is more than testament to that.

LM: Alfonso Pedraza

Having signed in January, we’re finally beginning to see more of Alfonso Pedraza, who Leeds United fans are getting increasingly excited about.

He scored his first goal against Birmingham City earlier this month and impressed and played a good 70 minutes in the draw against QPR.

He was arguably the pick of the attacking players but he’ll have a lot to prove on arguably the biggest stage of the season so far this weekend.

ST: Chris Wood

Chris Wood has been the kingpin of this United promotion push and his goals have single-handedly led the Whites to the top-six this season.

It’s been his strongest season to date and the New Zealand international will be hoping to add to his tally come the end of the campaign.

And with Brighton in town this weekend, he’s got an excellent chance to grab the headlines for his side and really do the business upfront.