EFL pundit David Prutton believes Fulham cannot afford to let the five-point gap between themselves and second-placed Leeds grow any bigger during the final 10 games of the Championship season.

Scott Parker's side have managed to get their automatic-promotion bid back on track over the past week following wins over Swansea and Preston, but Leeds' five-game winning run means they have not been able to close the gap on the top two.

Fulham experienced a blip in form back in mid-February when they collected just two points from clashes with Millwall, Barnsley and Derby, but the Craven Cottage side are now back in promotion contention following two hard-fought successes last week.

Speaking to the Sky Sports EFL Podcast, Prutton reckons the Cottagers have started developing more steel and character in recent times, while he believes Fulham must ensure the five-point gap does not grow further if they want to remain in the promotion hunt.

"There's a bit of steel and character that's developed in this Fulham team," Prutton said.

"You look at the win midweek when they missed a penalty but then Mitrovic still finds the time and the space to score. They've got that very much in their pockets.

"It's as tough for them as it is for the two in the automatic promotion places.

"Leeds will want to keep them at arm’s length, and from Fulham’s point of view it’s making sure that the gap doesn’t get any bigger.”

Fulham are now preparing for clashes with play-off candidates Bristol City and Brentford over the next two weeks before a mammoth clash with Leeds at Elland Road which could go some way to dictating their aspirations for the rest of the term.

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The Verdict

Fulham would have been feeling concerned over their automatic-promotion push following their 1-1 draw with Derby, but the victories over Swansea and Preston appear to have injected fresh life into the Cottagers' top-two bid this campaign.

It is now critical that Parker's men use this confidence to seal back-to-back wins over Bristol City and Brentford, as this could then put them in an excellent place ahead of the all-important trip to Elland Road later on in the month.

However, Leeds' impressive run of form means they could be difficult to catch during the last 10 matches, but West Brom's recent defeat to Wigan goes to show exactly how the top two are still liable to slipping up despite their dominant positions at present.