100% dribble success – MOT View: Leeds ace surely promised start v Crawley after starring cameo

Leeds United playmaker Pablo Hernandez has had to settle for a place on the bench in the Premier League this season.

Rodrigo has nailed down his spot in-behind Patrick Bamford, and his fellow Spaniard has had to wait for cameos towards the end of games.

One of the lowest points of the season so far was the incident between Marcelo Bielsa and Hernandez after the 4-1 defeat against Leicester.

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Hernandez came out and apologised, but it feels like nothing has been the same since he spat out his dummy when being replaced.

The 35-year-old is slowly being reintegrated into the side in the past month and has come off the bench in recent games against Burnley, West Brom and Spurs.

In the 3-0 defeat against Spurs on Saturday, Hernandez came on and shined compared to some of those who struggled.

The playmaker completed four progressive runs according to WyScout and also completed 100% of his dribbles – something he has done now for three games in-a-row.

After his eight-minute cameo against Newcastle where Hernandez claimed two assists, he will have been crying out to start more games.

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The perfect opportunity is around the corner.

Hernandez has surely been promised a start in the FA Cup against Crawley on Sunday afternoon, and he will likely captain a relatively inexperienced side.

With Kalvin Phillips also likely to feature after picking up a suspension in the league, it could be an experienced midfield around numerous under-23 options.

Hernandez has been superb since getting his head down and coming off the bench in the Premier League, and he must be rewarded against Crawley this weekend – he could single-handily win the tie for the Whites.

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