For the first time ever at the weekend, Marcelo Bielsa included both Pablo Hernandez and Joe Gelhardt on a Leeds United bench.

Gelhardt was promoted for the first time for the previous game, the win over Crystal Palace. Meanwhile, Hernandez made his return from injury at the Emirates.

Leeds United U23 v Wolverhampton Wanderers U23 - Under 18s Premier League
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images

Neither man got onto the pitch in North London. But it still feels like a significant moment in Leeds’s future.

Gelhardt has been the standout performer in an unbelievable season for the under-23s. And most of his masterpieces have come from the number 10 role that is so integral at Elland Road.

Sadly meanwhile, it seems increasingly likely that Hernandez’s time with the club may be edging towards its conclusion.

The magician has played a peripheral role since coming off in the defeat to Leicester last year.

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Photo by ALEX PANTLING/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

At some stage, it may well be that the pair swap places in the pecking order.

And perhaps, Leeds have started to acknowledge the passing of the torch themselves as the club posted their usual training ground video ahead of Friday’s clash with Wolves.

One of the drills shows Hernandez rifling a superb shot into the bottom corner with his right foot outside the box.

Gelhardt shares stage with Hernandez

As the camera cuts back to Hernandez working his way back to the rest of the team, Gelhardt can be seen exploding out of the blocks to get onto his own opportunity.

The teenager then finds the same corner, also with his right foot.

Of course, a moment on the training ground does not prove, on its own, that Gelhardt is the man to step up when Hernandez does step down from his throne.

But it almost feels symbolic that as Hernandez continues to embody the notion that class is permanent, a player who looks to have the talent to be his successor is the one following right behind and producing a similar finish.

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