Leeds skipper Rio Ferdinand believes his blossoming centre-back partnership with Jonathan Woodgate could finally help end the club's silverware drought.

Since Woodgate returned to the side after avoiding a custodial sentence at the end of the trial into an assault on student Sarfraz Najeib, Leeds have reclaimed the lead at the top of the Premiership on the back of three successive clean-sheet victories.

Woodgate has been a revelation, with boss David O'Leary this week revealing the 21-year-old had become a more serious character, both on the training ground and in the dressing room, as he looked to repair his tarnished career.

England also beckons once Woodgate completes the 100 hours of community service he was ordered to serve after being found guilty of affray in relation to the attack of two years ago.

But on-the-pitch reputations and Leeds' recent record will count for nothing as an FA Cup giantkilling looms tomorrow with United putting their new-found lofty status on the line against Second Division Cardiff at Ninian Park.

Ferdinand, though, feels the foundations are there for Leeds to go all the way to the final this season and provide O'Leary with his first trophy since taking over at Elland Road just over three years ago.

"It's been a good partnership with Woody," asserted Ferdinand, who remains the most expensive defender in the world at £18million.

"We're enjoying playing alongside one another, but then I said when I first joined Leeds that I appreciate playing with anybody who is a good player.

"The players I've worked with have all been good and as far as I'm concerned Woody definitely fits that bill.

"We've kept three clean sheets since he returned to the side. The basis of any good team is not conceding goals and the longer it continues, then the more chance we've got of winning things."

Ferdinand, though, is wary of the danger Cardiff pose and realises Leeds could be cut down to size as he added: "We're there to be shot at.

"The fact we've won our last three games and kept clean sheets as well counts for nothing in the FA Cup. Form goes out of the window in this competition.

"Cardiff will be a big examination for us because they're a team who are more than capable of causing a bit of an upset.

"But that's the buzz of the FA Cup. We all know what it entails, so we have to go there and give a solid account of ourselves and make sure we come out winners and that there are no slip ups.

"I'd feel better if we had a few more players in the squad, but it gives others the opportunity to prove themselves and they're doing that at the moment."

O'Leary is without eight players in Harry Kewell, Olivier Dacourt, Dominic Matteo, Seth Johnson, Eirik Bakke, Robbie Keane, Michael Bridges and Lucas Radebe because of injury, none of whom are due to return, which means an unchanged side for the third successive game.

Australia international Kewell has now been sidelined for the last two weeks with a back injury which has left O'Leary declaring he is "out for the longer term rather than the short term."

"Harry had a back scan a few weeks ago when he sustained the injury and thankfully there was nothing that showed up that was drastic," added O'Leary.

"Because the scan has shown there's nothing wrong, it's not a concern, so all we can do is rest him up. It's just going to take time.

"There has been improvement, but back injuries take a while. You can't put a time frame on it, which means we've no idea how long he will be out."