Samu Saiz being left on the bench this weekend may not be awful for Leeds United.
Leeds United midfielder Samu Saiz scored a sensational hat-trick in midweek on his debut for the club.
He has immediately thrown himself into the reckoning to start this weekend at home to Preston North End in the Championship.
It will be hard for manager Thomas Christiansen to leave him out, but Pablo Hernandez did little wrong against Bolton Wanderers last week.
Saiz’s name not being on the teamsheet against Preston this Saturday will cause disappointment among fans after his midweek heroics, but it is not necessarily a bad move.
The fixture list has Leeds playing just three days later against promotion rivals Fulham.
That may be an ideal match for Saiz to be unleashed in, providing he gets some minutes off the bench this Saturday against Preston.
If the match is goalless or Leeds are behind, bringing Saiz off the bench will give Elland Road a huge lift.
Leeds should of course be looking to play their best players in every match, but Hernandez should not just be cast aside easily.
Christiansen has to balance his squad, as if Saiz starts and plays well at the weekend, he will then have the tough choice of deciding whether to start the new signing for a third time in eight days.
Success in the Championship is as much about sensible squad management and rotation as it is talent and luck, and that’s why this weekend Saiz may have to be patient to see action.
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