Leicester City could play a major part in one of the most intriguing promotion battles in years when the Championship season resumes next weekend.

City have certainly surpassed all expectations so far. If Nigel Pearson's men had managed to overcome West Bromwich Albion last week, they would have gone into the international break in the automatic promotion places.

What an incredible achievement that would have been.

The first 16 games have been very encouraging for Pearson and City. The Albion defeat was only their third of the season and City have developed a reputation for being incredibly difficult to beat. No side have overcome City by more than a solitary goal.

In goalkeeper Chris Weale and the regular back four of Robbie Neilson, Wayne Brown, Jack Hobbs and Bruno Berner, Pearson has a solid foundation.

Only Newcastle and Swansea City have conceded fewer goals this season.

For a newly-promoted side, that is some feat.

In the goals-for column, City do not look quite so impressive but, in Matty Fryatt, they have one of the division's hot shots.

Keeping him fit and in form will be key to City sustaining their challenge.

Fryatt has scored nine of City's 19 league goals and he will certainly require assistance from elsewhere in the squad if City are to stay in touch with the top six.

Steve Howard has yet to get off the mark this season while Paul Gallagher has managed only two since arriving from Blackburn Rovers in the summer, despite firing in the goals for Plymouth Argyle while on loan in Devon last season.

On-loan teenager Martyn Waghorn is the second top scorer in the league with three, despite only recently breaking into the starting line-up.

The automatic promotion places provide no shocks at the moment with newly-relegated Newcastle and West Bromwich Albion occupying the top two.

Under Chris Hughton and cheered on by more than 40,000 Geordies at every home game, United are on course to recapture their Premier League status. They certainly have the players.

In Alan Smith, Steven Taylor, Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton, they have talented individuals who should be plying their trade in the Premier League.

However, I can see goal-scoring as their problem also. Nolan has provided seven goals from midfield but they have lost main striker Shola Ameobi to a foot injury after he started the season in fine form and the emphasis has now fallen on young Andrew Carroll, who has scored four.

When it comes to winning promotions, Albion are past masters. They are looking to earn their fourth promotion to the Premier League in the past decade and few would bet against them doing so.

As they showed at the Walkers Stadium last week, Roberto Di Matteo's men have retained their reputation for playing attractive, attacking football, but the Italian has also added a steely backbone that their critics would say was missing last season.

However, again finding a consistent goal-scorer like Fryatt is their Achilles heel. Winger Chris Brunt is their top scorer with just four and, although goals have come from throughout the squad, strikers Luke Moore, Simon Cox and Roman Bednar have not delivered.

There are no such problems at Cardiff City, who are the division's hot shots.

They have scored 33 goals so far and, in Michael Chopra (11) and Peter Whittingham (10), they have the Championship's top scorers.

Jay Bothroyd has provided back-up with five and they are a difficult side to contain. Even though they have lost five times already this season, they will put pressure on the top two.

City were last week referred to as the division's surprise side but Blackpool would be contenders for that title as well.

Ian Holloway has shown that, although so much went wrong at City, he has got it right at Bloomfield Road and they are ahead of City on goal difference.

Their success has been built around their superb home record. Unbeaten at Bloomfield Road, the Tangerines will need to continue that record if they are to stay in touch with the top six.

Their away record of just one win suggests they may struggle to do so but, barring a disaster, it promises to be an encouraging season for Holloway.

Sitting in fourth place are Queens Park Rangers and that will certainly not shock many considering the investment that Rangers have received.

However, Rangers have a reputation for earning newspaper column inches for events off the pitch and not necessarily for what they have achieved on it.

In 2007 QPR were taken over by Italian tycoon Flavio Briatore and rank among the top 10 richest sporting clubs in the world. Other major shareholders include Lakshmi Mittal and F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone.

Since then, John Gregory, Luigi De Canio, Iain Dowie and Paulo Sousa have all been given the task of getting Rangers into the Premier League but their reigns have been brief.

Jim Magilton has now provided some stability and, in Arsenal youngster Jay Simpson (seven goals) and Akos Buzsaky (six), they have a serious goal threat.

The pressure will be on Magilton to keep Rangers in the frame and, if he fails to do so, do not be surprised if someone else is in the hot seat next season.

Outside the top six there are more than a dozen sides who will fancy their chances.

Bristol City and Swansea have experience of chasing the play-off dream, while, further down, Middlesbrough and Sheffield United will come good later in the campaign.

Both are big clubs and their struggles so far will have surprised many, but expect them to come to the fore.

It could be one of the most intriguing promotion battles for many years and City could be right in the mix if they can continue the progress they have made so far this season.

Consistency will be the key and the sides that can string together a run of results and bounce back quickly after setbacks will be in the frame.

Let battle commence.