Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson sends warning to Sheffield Wednesday ahead of return for key Whites man

The ageing playmaker is a key man for the table-toppers and has missed their last four matches with a hamstring injury picked up in their pre-Christmas defeat at Fulham.

He also missed Leeds’ 0-0 draw at Hillsborough back in October on a day neither side were able to create enough chances to win the match.

The Whites are on a run of one win in five matches and Robinson, who played 95 matches for Leeds at the start of a career that saw him collect 41 England caps, believes it is the return of the former Valencia man that can recapture their form.

The 40-year-old said: “It will be a huge boost for Leeds to have Hernandez back, although I don’t think they’ve struggled too much without him – they scored five at Birmingham.

“Saying that though, Hernandez is a huge player for Leeds, he’s very important to what they do and he seems to be an automatic pick for the manager.”

Wednesday remain locked in a nervous wait over the fitness of top scorer and key man Steven Fletcher, who was stretchered off in the Owls’ surprise 1-0 FA Cup victory at Brighton.

It’s unknown whether full-back Liam Palmer will be give the nod following his ankle injury.

Fernando Forestieri is expected to be out for more weeks than initially expected with a knee injury and there is no imminent sign of a return for goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.

And with this the case, Robinson believes the return of Hernandez can give his former club the upper hand in what will be a mammoth clash.

He said: “To have a player like Hernandez coming back when other teams are losing players through injuries and suspensions, it’s always a huge boost.

“He’s a massive player and this is such an important time of the season for Leeds.”