David Prutton: Leeds United can finish job without star man Samuel Saiz

You look at what you want from a player and as Leeds fan you reflect in terms of how fortunate you would be if you were a Leeds United regular.

That’s how footballers are judged but some players do come and go, meander through, wear the shirt for a bit and then move on.

You also have to look at it from a personal point of view.

Leeds will miss him because he has shown in fits and starts what kind of player he can be, although not consistently.

But if family issues are involved for Saiz then he has absolutely done the right thing.

He was definitely one of Leeds’ most skilful players on his day and he had that bit of a snap in him, too, which probably made him the player he was.

The way in which Marcelo Bielsa has got Leeds playing, someone like Saiz – who covers lots of ground, sees a lot of the ball and makes good use of it – fits in perfectly.

But going back to Spain was obviously something he wanted to do and I think from Leeds’ point of view, Bielsa has probably turned around and said he doesn’t want an unhappy player, so let him move on.

Saiz’s departure has heightened the importance of Pablo Hernandez to United and his through ball for Patrick Bamford’s goal at Bolton was fantastic. From that point of view, anybody who is seen as a creative player, can really make a difference in games.

To replace Saiz would take thorough searching, but the timing of it means Leeds can make a start now – if they were looking to replace him in January.

Alternatively, United have Izzy Brown to come back in that position and I thought he was good on loan at Huddersfield Town and Brighton.

He has a really nice way about him, he comes across well and he also helped Huddersfield win promotion.

That experience has to help the squad. Someone, like Brown or Barry Douglas for that matter, know what is required to get the Whites over the line.

Brown hasn’t played since tearing his ACL on loan at Brighton nearly a year ago which seems a ridiculous period to be out – but that’s the way it is with some injuries.

That injury will have been a hell of a test of him mentally, emotionally and in terms of his motivation.

It’s all well and good grinding through a season but it’s different when you have been away from the set-up and also at different clubs, rather than in one place.

Hopefully, Leeds will get a player back that is fit and raring to go. He is still young and had good fortune in terms of the teams he has played with and the experience he has gained. If you are a Leeds fan you are hoping the side can receive the benefit of all that.

Leeds are now back on top of the Championship but can they stay there? The answer to that is, why not?

With nearly half the season gone, it’s a great time to take stock.

What may stop Leeds achieving promotion could be inconsistency and their own vulnerability if Kemar Roofe stops scoring, if Hernandez doesn’t provide the assists or if Patrick Bamford doesn’t hit the ground running which he has done so far.

But looking in from the outside, there’s absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t go on and achieve their goal.

The high intensity way that Leeds have gone about things so far this season has been great. It’s really galvanised everybody and pulled everybody together around the city in a way that we haven’t seen for years. What Bielsa has done has been fantastic and you get the feeling that it is imperative that he maintains his standards and that he keeps pushing them on and cracking the whip.

I think the telling statistic is that the team that has been top at Christmas has gone up automatically in 14 of the last 15 years. That is a phenomenal sequence, but it’s ultimately meaningless if you finish the season outside of the top two, or indeed, top six.

Leeds’ final game before Christmas comes at Aston Villa on Sunday and it promises to be a tough game.

Dean Smith’s team are an expansive one and they are capable of scoring a lot of goals.

Leeds will have to keep a very close eye on Tammy Abraham up front and in the wider parts of the pitch where the hosts play to their strengths.

But if the Whites are on their game and with a bit of luck thrown in, they can go to Birmingham confident of returning with something.

I think it will be a real stern test because of the way the league is and the fact Villa are now living up to their pre-season billing of title contenders.

Villa will be wanting to beat Bielsa’s men so it will be a major, major scalp if the Whites can come home with three points.

I’d just like to finish by wishing everyone a very happy Christmas.

Hopefully it’s a case of celebrating the festivities now with friends and family and also celebrating with them again at the end of the season!