Leeds United face Charlton Athletic at The Valley this weekend, and they will be without one of Marcelo Bielsa's key players.
Pablo Hernandez is 34-years-old, yet last season he amassed around 3,800 minutes in the Championship, and he's remained as an integral part of the side since.
This year the Spaniard has featured in every match while fulfilling a variety of roles. Most prominently, though, Hernandez has featured on the right flank.
From that area of the pitch, rather than operating as a traditional speedy wide player, Hernandez has instead acted as a creative hub for his team. The Spanish midfielder isn't particularly fast or physically gifted, but he's impressive technically with a natural tendency to create.
Hernandez takes plenty of risks on the ball in his role, playing almost as a wide playmaker for Bielsa by supplying his team-mates with chances.
His absence will surely be felt this weekend, with Helder Costa expected to be the man to replace him in the selection.
Based on Costa's profile, though, it's reasonable to suggest he'll perform the right-sided role differently.
Already this season, Hernandez has assisted 22 shots for United in the Championship. Only two have resulted in actual scoring assists being registered, but it's clear to see his impact nonetheless.
Expected Assists (xA) for example, offers an insight into the likelihood of a shot being scored by considering aspects such as difficulty and location, and it tends to provide an accurate summary of whether a player deserved an assist or not, regardless of whether the chance was scored.
Two hundred and seven players have amassed over 500 minutes in the division this season, with Hernandez posting the fourth-best xA figure per 90 minutes behind only John Swift, Sergi Canos and Jonathan Williams.
Costa, based on his career xA figures, will likely struggle to match Hernandez's level of invention. However, it's worth noting, based on his appearances for Bielsa so far, his numbers are very encouraging to the extent they eclipse Hernandez's.
Those appearances have come mostly as a substitute, though, when matches are more open than at the start. Also, he's played 500 fewer league minutes, so the sample in question may be inaccurate.
Instead of burdening Costa with Hernandez's creative role, it's instead likely Bielsa will adjust accordingly.
Costa is quicker, he tends to score more and he's also a more active dribbler. In addition, he's left-footed compared to Hernandez who prefers his right, meaning he may be inclined to cut inside to provide a scoring threat rather than supplying others from deep.
Ultimately, Bielsa has a greater and more mobile scoring threat at his disposal for this weekend's fixture rather than a cultured player in the mould of Hernandez.
The Leeds boss has seemed to favour 4-1-4-1 this season, but considering the new dynamic at hand as well as Bielsa's flexibility in regard to formations, a change may be imposed this weekend.
A 3-5-2 has been his second-most used shape this season, followed by a diamond system. It remains to be seen at present whether Bielsa will deem such alterations to be necessary, but when comparing Hernandez to Costa, there is a clear difference between the two.
