Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa has defended misfiring striker Patrick Bamford as his side chase top spot in the Sky Bet Championship.

Bamford has gone nine games without a goal and Leeds boss Bielsa could ease the burden on the former Chelsea forward by partnering him with Eddie Nketiah against QPR at Elland Road.

But Bielsa believes Bamford has been unfairly blamed for what the Argentinian sees as Leeds' "lack of efficiency" in attack.

"This is a team which is growing and keeping the level defensively," Bielsa said at his pre-match press conference.

"The team has improved offensively as well, but our efficiency is worse now and those are the three factors. Last season we had a problem with efficiency, but this year we have increased this problem.

"After this, there is something which is unfair, everybody points to the number nine for the lack of efficiency, because the number nine is the player who is closer to the attack.

"But everybody is involved in the offensive play and other players share a lack of efficiency.

"It's important not to make the centre-forward the only person responsible for not scoring enough."

Leeds will take over at the top by beating QPR, as leaders West Brom visit managerless Stoke on Monday and second-placed Preston head to Charlton on Sunday.

Swansea are away to Wigan hoping to build on their derby win against Cardiff.

"It was an important game for us, the community and the city," Swansea head coach Steve Cooper said.

"We went in to it fully focused and full of belief that we could do well and we did.

"But we're very focused now on the next bit, that's for sure."

Cardiff seek to bounce back from derby disappointment at home to Birmingham, Blackburn host Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham entertain Hull.

Two form teams, Brentford and Huddersfield, meet at Griffin Park with the Bees buoyed by three straight wins.

"In our current form we need to put pressure on ourselves and make sure we perform," Brentford head coach Thomas Frank said.

"Our work ethic, commitment and togetherness needs to be bang up there."

Huddersfield's six-game unbeaten run has taken them out of the relegation zone, with new manager Danny Cowley making his mark quickly on the Terriers.

Cowley said: "Brentford are the team we've been most impressed by so far.

"That really excites us, because it means the stakes go up and the challenge gets bigger.

"We've made some small steps ourselves and it will be really interesting to see now, when the stakes get higher, how we cope with that."

Derby end a difficult week, which saw club captain Richard Keogh dismissed for gross conduct, against struggling Middlesbrough.

Elsewhere, Luton are at home to Nottingham Forest and Millwall travel to Reading.