Dean Smith says Aston Villa will not be blaming the Elland Road pitch if they do not get a good result against Leeds United.
The Whites' pitch has come in for criticism this season, with the club unable to relay the surface in the summer due to the short turnaround between seasons.
Whilst Leeds were able to lay a new surface at Elland Road recently, it appears to have made little difference to the quality of the pitch, with multiple players slipping in the midweek victory over Southampton.
Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness hit out at the quality of the pitch against the Saints, with striker Patrick Bamford admitting it was like playing on an ice rink.
Pre-match ahead of the Villa game, it did not appear like the pitch had gotten any better, but, speaking to Sky Sports, Smith said it was not an area to focus on.
He said: "We have to handle it, it’s the same for both teams.
"It’s been tough this year because all of the pitches were laid at different times of the year, such has been the pandemic and the end of last season.
"So, there’s a lot of them that have struggled, but you have to cope with it the best you can."
Speaking during the win over Southampton, Souness said the pitch posed an injury risk.
He said: "I have to say that the pitch is an absolute disaster. There's going to be some very sore groins tomorrow from both sides.
"They can't stop slipping, so it's super difficult for them to get the ball moving as quickly as they want it to move."
