The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered a rather encouraging injury update ahead of Leeds United’s match this weekend.
On Sunday, Marcelo Bielsa’s side were defeated by Cardiff City 2-0 on their return to Championship action, and there was a glaring void in the number ten role as Pablo Hernandez was absent through injury.
Does Hernandez start vs Fulham?
100%
No!
However, it appears as if the 35-year-old has a good chance of making the Fulham fixture, according to Hay, who claimed the Spaniard was “doing well” as the week progresses.
In response to one supporter on Twitter, the ever-reliable Whites correspondent said:
doing well by all accounts but as ever, it depends on how Bielsa sees it. Hopefully hear from him on Thursday.
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) June 24, 2020
The 35-year-old playmaker is an imperative part of Bielsa’s system – in 28 appearances, Hernandez has provided six goals and six assists whilst also averaging 2.3 shots, 2.3 key passes, 1.5 tackles and 1.1 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.
Only one member of the United squad is managing a better average rating than the veteran too with him sat on 7.19, which is higher than Kalvin Phillips, Ben White and Mateusz Klich.
Following Sunday’s defeat, Leeds dropped to second position, although they do still hold a seven-point cushion to the playoff positions but with the third-placed Cottagers in town on Saturday, that gap could be reduced to four with more than a handful of matches remaining.
Having Hernandez fit and available would be a major boost to our chances of getting a result.