Preston North End boss Alex Neil has highlighted just how much Leeds United have missed Pablo Hernandez in recent weeks.
The Spaniard was again missing for Marcelo Bielsa's side when they took on the Lilywhites on Tuesday evening, as a late Eddie Nketiah goal earned Leeds a share of the points in a 1-1 draw.
Despite dominating for long periods, Marcelo Bielsa's side were unable to press their advantage into three points, with talismanic playmaker Hernandez notably missed in attack.
This was something Neil flagged up following the match when he spoke in the post-match press conference about how the Spaniard's current unavailability impacts United's performance.
Asked how the two sides stacked up comparatively since their last meeting in April, the 38-year-old stated: "I think we've improved. But I do think they've lost a few key players which has made them weaker.
"I think [Liam] Cooper and [Pontus] Jansson were two really good centre-backs. I thought [Ben White] was excellent tonight, right enough.
"Hernandez being missing was key for them. Because what he tends to do is not play in up and down lines, he drifts into areas you can't pick him up.
"Both teams are looking for that spare player and he always becomes that spare player. If there's any guy you don't want to get the ball in this league, it's probably him because he has quality."
Captain Cooper remains sidelined for United, while former defender Jansson joined Brentford ahead of the new campaign.
The two sides previously met in April as Leeds challenged for the Championship play-offs with a Patrick Bamford double sealing a 2-0 win for the Whites.
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