Huddersfield Town head coach Andre Breitenreiter on Jonathan Hogg's new role and a leadership message to his players ahead of do-or-die Championship game with Birmingham City

Unfortunately, it is to Huddersfield Town’s detriment that the player whose own sobriquet is ‘The General’ will not be around on the pitch in the Terriers’ hour of need in their ‘do-or-die game’ against Birmingham City.

Hogg was certainly badly missed as events unravelled badly against Swansea City last weekend.

Sidelined with a shoulder injury, Hogg - in his role as captain - will take on a key off-the-field role in supporting his team-mates with Town’s season on the line and explaining just how much victory in this game means to everyone connected with the club.

Head coach Andre Breitenreiter said: “After the result of his injury, he was not with the team for a week as he was sad and needed some time for himself.“But he is around the team and for sure, we need his experience.

"He is a legend here at Town. Some players ‘live’ the club and maybe they can tell the others who are now so long here to ‘live’ for Town.”

Sign up to our new Sports Editor’s TeamTalk newsletter available this week

With Hogg absent and quite possibly Tom Lees, who came off late on last weekend, it is up to others in blue and white to step up to the plate - individually and collectively - and summon up the leadership necessary to help take Town’s fate to the final day of the season.

It is a major issue now and also in the future, according to Breitenreiter.

He added: “It is one of many things we should speak about after the season. Who is a leader, who wants to be a leader?

"A leader is important in the group in every training session, giving 100 per cent always and you can be sure this is a big thing.

"What I also tell the players for their future is that when you want to go up to another (higher) league, you have to show 100 per cent in every session.

"Over the whole season, we have had so many injuries because players are not fit and then we have to play with players who are not really fit and this means the whole thing is not easier.”

Town will be relegated if they lose to Blues, who are two places and two points above them in the table.