Huddersfield Town head coach reveals Tom Lees and Jack Rudoni boost - but Championship season set to be over for Radinio Balker and Jonathan Hogg

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN head coach Andre Breitenreiter is hopeful that key duo Tom Lees and Jack Rudoni will return for Saturday’s Championship game at Bristol City - but has revealed that Radinio Balker and Jonathan Hogg are likely to be out for the rest of the campaign.

Senior defender Lees has returned to training after a calf injury, which has seen him miss the last five matches.

Influential midfielder Rudoni - who has missed the last two matches - has shrugged off a hamstring issue. Both will be assessed on Saturday morning ahead of relegation-threatened Town’s fixture at Ashton Gate.

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But the season looks to be over for captain Hogg and Balker.

Huddersfield Town head coach André Breitenreiter provides encouragement to his players in the recent Championship win over Millwall. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.Huddersfield Town head coach André Breitenreiter provides encouragement to his players in the recent Championship win over Millwall. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
Huddersfield Town head coach André Breitenreiter provides encouragement to his players in the recent Championship win over Millwall. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

Breitenreiter said: “Tom Lees and Jack Rudoni trained for the first time and we have to decide overnight if they can start.

"We need fresh legs and mentality from fresh players. They are an option, for sure, for the game at Bristol.

"We showed for over 55 minutes that we could play a good game at Preston without experienced players. But we experienced a wrong decision - it was a foul on Ben Wiles and then no penalty.

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"It was the second time (a decision went against Town) after the offside goal against West Brom and in such a situation, you need experienced players and leaders on the pitch to calm the whole situation.

“For that, Tom Lees is a very important player for the team and he is totally stable in his performances and we are happy that it’s possible for him to maybe play on Saturday.

"Radinio Balker is training individually and I don’t think there’s a chance we see them again on the pitch.

"Jonathan Hogg has a broken shoulder and I think the season is off for him.

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"So it’s good to have Tom and Jack back - experienced players with high quality and they will make us better.”

Meanwhile, Breitenreiter has stated his belief that VAR needs to be introduced in the second-tier next season - having been left sore by some important decisions going against his side in the club’s recent games while viewing it as a wider issue which could improve the Championship’s overall standards.

He added: "I never speak too much about referees. But now it’s a minimum of two times that it’s changed everything (for Huddersfield) after a wrong decision.

"In England they have a new ‘revolution’ about offside for next season and maybe they have to think about VAR in the Championship because it’s the best second league in the world and there’s no VAR. Sometimes, you have to think about that to get to the right decision.”

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