Neil Warnock believes nobody in the Championship is more deserving of promotion than Leeds United, but warned Cardiff City will be their toughest match of the season remaining.
The Whites sit top of the Championship table, a point ahead West Bromwich Albion, but seven clear of Fulham in third place.
The season will restart on Sunday for Leeds, with a trip to Cardiff their first of nine remaining fixtures that will determine their promotion ambitions.
After narrowly missing out on automatic promotion last year, Marcelo Bielsa's side are desperate to avoid similar disappointment, a year older and wiser to the Championship run-in.
Warnock believes Leeds deserve to be promoted, but says the lack of crowd at Elland Road could play a role in their final five home fixtures.
“Bloody hell, what they’ve been through the last 10 years plus, there’s nobody that deserves to get promotion more than them," Warnock told The Athletic.
He added: "I think Elland Road is an amazing place, I’ve managed there and it is an extra man.
“When there’s no crowd, there’s no influence on the officials at all.
"Whereas you officiate in front of 35,000 at Elland Road and you are under pressure, make no mistake about that, but it won’t affect referees or linesmen now.”
First up for Leeds is a trip to the Cardiff City Stadium to face the Bluebirds who still harbour their own top-six hopes.
With the race for sixth spot still wide open, Warnock believes a clash with Cardiff will be their "most difficult game" and has backed his most recent employers to challenge for a play-off finish.
“I think this year has been the best opportunity that anybody has ever had of going up,” Warnock said.
“That’s why I look at that sixth position, nobody has ever wanted to get in there. I think it’s waiting for somebody to grasp it.
"Two or three wins for Cardiff and I don’t think anybody will want to play them.”
