‘Absolute joy to watch’ – Prutton hails Leeds player who could leave Bielsa with ‘tough’ choice
David Prutton has claimed that Leeds United playmaker Pablo Hernandez is an “absolute joy to watch”.
The pundit has also suggested, however, that the Whites must exercise the utmost caution with their star man over the coming weeks.
The Spaniard has struggled with a hamstring injury since the Championship restart, but played a pivotal role in last week’s win over Fulham and came on as a sub against Luton Town in midweek.
But Prutton believes that maintaining the 35-year-old’s fitness could be something of a balancing act.
Writing in a column for the Yorkshire Evening Post, he said: “If Pablo pulls his hamstring then he won’t play again this season so that’s the way Leeds have got to see it.
“They have got to use the time wisely and you have got to nurse it. Pablo might be nursing it between now and the end of the season but if you can get portions of games out of him rather than not at all then it’s not the perfect choice but it’s better than nothing.
“It’s very self evident how important Pablo is to the side and I think we have always known that, the nuances that he brings, the delicacy, the foot of creation that he brings.
“If you are a neutral it’s an absolute joy to watch and if you are a Leeds fan then you think it’s imperative that he’s on the pitch so it’s tough.”
Prutton certainly isn’t wrong about Hernandez’s influence on this Leeds team.
As examined recently by MOT Leeds News, the Whites’ win percentage drops from 64% to just 40% when Hernandez is absent from the side.
With that in mind, it is vital that Marcelo Bielsa finds a way of managing the Spaniard so that he can still feature during the run-in without risking him aggravating his injury too much.
With such little recovery time between matches, that promises to be a difficult task, but ultimately one that could have a huge bearing on promotion fate.
In other Leeds United news, Journalist makes worrying claim about QSI takeover as Leeds home in on promotion.