Leeds United player is surely out of reach as Ipswich Town weigh up George Hirst replacements: View | OneFootball

It seems as though Ipswich Town may be starting to hit something of a hurdle in their Championship promotion push for the first time this season.

Following their goalless draw at home to QPR on Friday night, the Tractor Boys are now without a win in their last four games, their longest run without a victory in the league this season.

Although they are still second in the Championship table, they now have just a three point advantage over the play-off places, meaning their may be some nerves emerging around Portman Road.

That sentiment is also something that is unlikely to have been helped, by the current issues that manager Kieran McKenna is having to deal with, in the centre forward position.

Ipswich find themselves short on striking options right now

Recent weeks have also seen Ipswich dealt some considerable blows over the availability of some of their attacking options at Portman Road.

Having been forced off with a hamstring injury in his side's 1-1 draw with Leicester City on Boxing Day, George Hirst now looks set to face a period on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, the Tractor Boys have also lost another option in that position, with Dane Scarlett having been recalled from his loan spell at Portman Road by parent club Tottenham.

As a result, it looks as though Ipswich will have to add to their centre forward options in January, to ensure they remain competitive in the race for promotion.

But while the Tractor Boys have been linked with a number of potential targets, there is an argument that one of those will surely be out of reach for the target, due to the identity of his parent club, in the form of Leeds United.

Leeds shouldn't send Joe Gelhardt to a promotion rival

Late in the summer transfer window, it was reported that Ipswich had been keen on a loan deal for Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt.

The striker spent the second half of last season on loan in the Championship with Sunderland, helping them to claim a place in the play-offs.

Ultimately though, no deal would materialise for Gelhardt at that point, but given the 21-year-old having featured in just six of Leeds' 25 Championship games this season, starting just twice, another loan move at the turn of the year would surely make sense.

But despite that, it seems as though any intention Ipswich have of reigniting their interest in the Leeds man once the market reopens, are surely not worth thinking about.

Given Leeds themselves currently sit fourth in the second-tier standings, nine points behind Ipswich in the promotion race, it would surely be too much of a risk for them to send Gelhardt to Portman Road.

Agreeing to such a deal would see the Elland Road club strengthen a direct rival for automatic promotion back to the Premier League.

That is a move that could then potentially prove costly, if Gelhardt was to chip in with winning goals for the Tractor Boys, that put them out of reach of Leeds in the battle for a promotion place.

Not only could that prevent the Whites from securing their return to the top-flight of English football, it would also generate plenty of questions over the decision makers at Elland Road for sanctioning that move in the first place.

Such a situation is another issue they may want to avoid after some of the scrutiny of recent times, following last season's relegation from the Premier League.

Meanwhile, given Gelhardt has also been linked with other Championship clubs such as Blackburn, Hull and Preston, who are not currently involved in the race for automatic promotion, Leeds do have the option of sending the striker elsewhere to get game time in the division, without boosting a direct rival.

So with all that in mind, it seems that while Ipswich may have to seen a striker in January given the circumstances, a deal for Gelhardt, is surely one that Leeds simply cannot afford to let happen.