Leeds United face what could be a defining week in their season, with the Whites set to take on fellow strugglers Leicester City later today, before taking on another relegation rival in AFC Bournemouth on Sunday.
Currently just a point from safety, the Yorkshire side face the very real prospect of a return to life in the second tier, having only secured promotion back to the Premier League in 2020, after a 16-year absence.
A positive result against the Foxes this evening at Elland Road, however, would likely do wonders in helping to calm any nerves among Leeds supporters, with Javi Gracia's side needing to shake off their recent run of three successive defeats in the league.
The club's most recent loss saw them on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline against a high-flying Fulham side at Craven Cottage, with that having come after previous, shambolic showings at home to both Liverpool and Crystal Palace.
With Gracia and co needing to avoid yet another thrashing on their own turf, one man who should seemingly drop out of the starting lineup is right-back, Rasmus Kristensen, with the former Red Bull Salzburg man having distinctly underwhelmed in the last two league games.
Will Kristensen start against Leicester?
Having replaced Luke Ayling in the side following the debacle against the Eagles, Kristensen was among those who simply wilted up against Jurgen Klopp's side last week, having lost possession on 24 occasions from just 61 touches in that 6-1 drubbing, while also winning just six of his 14 total duels on the day.
Despite having been something of a liability both defensively and in an attacking sense against the Reds, the Denmark international kept his place for the trip to west London on Saturday, only to endure another afternoon to forget against the Cottagers.
The £10m summer signing has arguably "failed to make the step up from the Austrian Bundesliga to the Premier League", according to writer Zach Lowy, with those woes having been evident against Marco Silva's men.
The £40k-per-week dud was simply run ragged by opposition winger, Willian, with the latter man – who will turn 35 later this year – having had the defender "on toast" all afternoon, as per talkSPORT pundit Scott Minto.
That viewpoint was also echoed by Yorkshire Evening Post's Graham Smyth, who also went on to state that Kristensen simply 'couldn't get near' the veteran Brazilian at times.
The 25-year-old's struggles were showcased by the fact that he was dribbled past on three occasions and completed just 26 of his 33 passes, having subsequently been described as like a "League One defender" by Leeds Youtuber, Conor McGilligan.
That dismal display should ensure that the 14-cap brute is ditched for tonight's clash, even if that means bringing back Ayling into the fold, with it clear to see that 'right-back has been the biggest of many positional problems in the team this season', as per Leeds Live's Beren Cross.