David Prutton believes that Leeds United duo Pontus Jansson and Pablo Hernandez are performing nowhere near their best right now.
The pair are regarded as two of the more senior members in the Whites dressing room and were some of the outstanding players at Elland Road last season.
Jansson has become a firm fan favourite with the Yorkshire giants due to his no-nonsense approach in defence.
The 26-year-old was named in the Championship team of the season last year and the centre-back has been tipped for the Premier League.
Hernandez, 32, is a skilful attacker that has shown he can terrorise defences on his day with his footballing brain.
However, the duo have struggled at times this season under manager Thomas Christiansen and Sky pundit Prutton insists they are both currently going through a difficult patch.
“At this moment in time, it is not a squad with everybody playing at their best,” Prutton wrote in the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“We have seen that in recent weeks with Pontus Jansson being in and out of the team and with Pablo Hernandez.
“They are very important players from last season which just goes to show that it can happen no matter who you are within a squad.”
Jansson was a mainstay in the Leeds defence last season, but faces competition from Liam Cooper and Matthew Pennington for a starting role this season.
The Sweden international will hope to be involved on Saturday away to Brentford and get back to his best.
Meanwhile, Hernandez has really struggled for game-time in the Championship and completed 90 minutes in just five of the 15 league matches so far.
Leeds are going through a spell of five defeats in their last six league games and recalling creative maestro Hernandez to the team could be a smart move.
OPINION
Leeds needs their big players to stand up and drag them out of their poor run of form because they are in risk of slipping away from the play-offs. Christiansen needs to put faith in his senior men, meaning Jansson and Hernandez must be included against Brentford at the weekend and for the foreseeable future. They certainly have the quality to shine in the Championship and on their day are good enough for the top flight.