Derby County v Leeds United: Whites need 10 wins to reach play-offs, claims Hernandez

The Elland Road club head to Derby County sitting eight points adrift of the top six after failing to win any of their last eight Championship outings.

It is a dreadful run that has seen United slip from fifth to mid-table and one that looks like extending the Elland Road club’s absence from the top flight into a 15th year.

Hernandez, however, insists Paul Heckingbottom and his squad have not given up hope of extending their season beyond May 6 via a tilt at the promotion deciders.

“I think it is simple,” said the Spaniard when asked about Leeds’s top six ambitions. “We have in front of us 14 games. If you see the points (for the team finishing sixth) in the last few years, if we want to have a chance to finish in the play-off positions then we need to minimum win nine or 10 games. It is this simple.”

Considering United’s recent form, such talk seems fanciful. This, though, is the Championship and the West Riding club knows better than most how quickly the promotion picture can change during a run-in.

A little under a year ago, Leeds went into April with an eight-point advantage over Fulham in the race for the play-offs. By the end of the penultimate weekend, the Cottagers had booked their place in the top six as Garry Monk’s men tried to work out where everything had gone wrong.

If United are to launch a late challenge, Hernandez will be crucial.

His performance in Sunday’s pulsating 2-2 draw with Bristol City neatly encapsulated a season for the West Riding club that has seen scintillating bursts of free-flowing football mixed in with some very ordinary fare.

After largely toiling for the opening three-quarters of a contest that the Robins had been dominating, Hernandez suddenly burst into life.

Not only did the playmaker create both goals during that enthralling final quarter but he also laid on late chances for Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Kalvin Phillips.

Such quality was a timely reminder as to what Hernandez has brought to Elland Road since being lured back to English football from Qatar by his old Swansea manager Monk.

At 32, he clearly still has what it takes to prosper in the Championship. As yet, however, the club has not started talks over extending his current deal beyond the summer.

Asked about whether he will still be at Leeds next season, Hernandez said: “I don’t know. I don’t receive anything new from the club. I can’t tell you nothing about this.

“I prefer only to focus on the next games and give 100 per cent on the club. I can’t talk about this.

“I would like to stay, yes, obviously. I am very happy here. I feel the fans and the team-mates, all the people would like it if I stay here but it depends not only on me.”

The recent change of manager could account for the lack of talks over extending Hernandez’s stay. A repeat tonight of how he finished the Bristol City game will be timely, especially if he can help Leeds to their first win under Heckingbottom.

“It is a difficult game against a good team who are in the fourth position,” said the former Spain international. “It is like a final for us and for them I think it is the same.

“But maybe for us it is more important because we know that if we don’t win this game, it will be difficult after this to arrive in the play-off positions.”

Samuel Saiz is available again after serving a six-game ban for spitting in the FA Cup third round defeat at Newport County. Also back from suspension are defensive duo, Gaetano Berardi and Liam Cooper, as Leeds chase their first win since Boxing Day.

Heckingbottom was giving little away yesterday as to which, if any, of the trio will start but Hernandez is adamant what United will need to prevail against one of the Championship’s more impressive outfits.

“We need bravery on the ball,” he said. “I always try and I always want the ball. It is important for the confidence. Sometimes, it is difficult because sometimes you don’t have a good feeling with the ball and you don’t have confidence.

“Then, it is not easy to want the ball all the time. In the last game (against Bristol City), we saw this in the first half. For all the players, it was difficult to keep possession and we lost the ball too easily.

“In the second half, we changed this. We recovered the confidence and we saw that if this team has confidence we can beat all the teams in this league.”

Last six games: Derby County WDDWDL, Leeds United LLDLLD.

Referee: K Stroud (Hampshire).

Last time: Derby County 1 Leeds United 0; October 15, 2016; Championship.