Leeds United vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
Elland RoadAttendance33,781.
Friday 7 December 2018 12:31, UK
Leeds teenager Jamie Shackleton will make his second league start in the home game against QPR.
Shackleton, 19, will step in at right-back for Stuart Dallas, who will be out for up to six weeks after fracturing a bone in his foot. Luke Ayling (knee) is still out. Defender Aapo Halme will also make his second league start in place of skipper Liam Cooper, who faces six weeks out due to a knee injury sustained in last week's win at Sheffield United.
Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed both Patrick Bamford and Izzy Brown are back in contention following respective long-term knee injuries, but defender Gaetano Berardi (hamstring) remains sidelined.
QPR will check on the fitness of Grant Hall ahead of their trip to Elland Road. The 27-year-old faces a late fitness test after sitting out last weekend's 3-2 home defeat to Hull.
The defender picked up a slight knock prior to that game and wasn't risked. Manager Steve McClaren has no other injury concerns ahead of the game.
Leeds are looking to win three consecutive league matches against QPR for the first time in their entire history.
QPR have won just one of their last eight league visits to Elland Road against Leeds (D3 L4), a 1-0 win in August 2013.
Leeds striker Kemar Roofe scored four goals against QPR in the Championship last season (a hat-trick at Loftus Road, one at Elland Road).
QPR boss Steve McClaren's six league visits to Elland Road against Leeds have seen him face six different managers (O'Leary, Venables, Gray, McDermott, Redfearn and Monk); his record is won two, drawn one and lost three.
Leeds United have faced fewer shots on target than any other Championship team this season (63), with only Middlesbrough (13) conceding fewer goals than the Whites (17).
Since recording three consecutive clean sheets in October, QPR have conceded in each of their last five league games, shipping two or more goals in each of the last four.
Leeds haven't been quite as convincing lately as they were earlier on in the season, but they are still winning and are right up in the thick of things at the top.
QPR will have been really disappointed to lose at home to a struggling Hull side, because those are the kinds of games you need to win if you want to make any impression on the top six. This should be a comfortable enough win for Leeds.
David Prutton predicts: 2-0 (7/1 with Sky Bet)
