Paul Heckingbottom has stopped short of saying he wants Pablo Hernandez to stay at Leeds United.
Hernandez, who is out of contract at Elland Road in the summer, scored the second goal of the game at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday as Leeds earned a 2-2 draw with Reading.
The Spaniard is widely considered to be one of the most talented players on the books at the Yorkshire giants and fans have called for him to be locked down on a fresh deal.
But when asked directly at a press conference whether he wants Hernandez to stay, Heckingbottom simply said his focus is on getting the best out of the Spaniard between now and the end of the season, to put the player in the best possible place in terms of his contractual situation.
"Listen, Pablo's been one of the best performers for me when I've had him available", Heckingbottom said.
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"My priority at the moment is working with Pablo, seeing if we can improve him still further because he loves the game.
"But the priority is keeping him fit between now and the end of the season so we give him the best possible chance to help us and help himself in terms of his contract", he added.
Hernandez joined Leeds, initially on loan, from Al-Arabi, in the summer of 2016, before then making the switch permanent.
The 32-year-old, who will turn 33 next month, has made 34 appearances across all competitions for Leeds this season.
