Leeds United travel to the capital to take on Queens Park Rangers this evening, knowing a win could send them top of the table once more.

This is the club’s game in hand on their rivals, and only three points will move them ahead of Norwich City in top spot and push Sheffield United out of the top two.

The last time these two sides met was in the FA Cup with the Hoops narrowly seeing off the charge of Marcelo Bielsa’s men.

This evening sees three points on offer, and Steve McClaren will be hoping he can arrest an alarming run of seven successive defeats.

It looks for all the world Leeds will come away victorious on current form, but such is the nature of the Championship, nothing is guaranteed.

Ahead of the meeting between the two sides, team news has emerged from both camps via Sky Sports.

Leeds could have to contend with the return of Luke Freeman who missed the defeat to Middlesbrough last weekend having been forced off near the end of the West Brom loss the midweek before with a hip problem.

Long-term casualties Angel Rangel and Geoff Cameron remain sidelined, other than that – it is as you were for Rangers from last weekend.

Leeds, meanwhile, could field the same XI that saw off Bolton last weekend.

Gaetano Berardi and Barry Douglas could feature with both almost certain to be in the 18-man squad for tonight’s trip to Loftus Road.

Berardi has not played since October following a hamstring problem while Douglas has missed the last three matches.

Adam Forshaw remains out having missed the last three games too with a knee problem and won’t travel to London tonight.

The verdict

Even with QPR’s abhorrent form, this one will not be easy for Leeds.

If Bielsa plays the same side as in the win over Bolton, it could be a foregone conclusion.

But with the impending return of Luke Freeman, things could be different this evening with QPR looking to stop their worst run of results since the 1995/96 season.