Leeds United fans are hopeful of a return for Pablo Hernandez tonight when Marcelo Bielsa's side travel to Aston Villa, with the Spaniard the only change they would make to the starting XI that lost 1-0 to Wolves on Monday.
The surprising aspect of the supporters' preferred Leeds XI, after Leeds Live offered fans the chance to select their own starting lineups for the Villa game, is that Pascal Struijk is moved back into the centre of defence to accommodate Hernandez's return.
Marcelo Bielsa has suggested he will start Struijk in the absence of Kalvin Phillips, who is facing a spell on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, but fans believe Mateusz Klich should drop into a deeper role and allow Rodrigo and Hernandez to play ahead of him.
That would mean keeping Struijk in the centre of defence and resisting the urge to bring in Ezgjan Alioski and moving the pieces of the four-man backline around, with the idea of Luke Ayling moving into the centre of defence along with Robin Koch and Stuart Dallas and Alioski operating at full-back mooted by Leeds Live's own writers.
Struijk starts in the middle of Leeds fans' preferred defence, with Liam Cooper widely expected to miss the Villa match and Diego Llorente having already been ruled out. Oliver Casey and Leif Davis were other options in defensive positions but fans are keen on some continuity at the back.
The other main talking point from the team is the absence of deadline-day signing Raphinha, with supporters backing Bielsa's decision to ease the winger into life in the Premier League slowly and opting for Helder Costa as their wideman on the right-hand side to accompany Jack Harrison and Patrick Bamford in attacking positions.
Leeds fans' average preferred starting XI: Meslier; Ayling, Koch, Struijk, Dallas; Klich; Costa, Rodrigo, Hernandez, Harrison; Bamford.
