Huddersfield Town manager Lee Grant has revealed how probable it is that the League One club will find a straight successor for Leo Castledine this month.

However, Chelsea recalled Castledine and sold him to Middlesbrough, leaving Grant’s side without the offensive midfielder for the remainder of the season.

Huddersfield are fifth in League One, thanks in large part to the former Chelsea player’s efforts, and will want to stay in the play-offs.

Lee Grant makes a ‘tough’ decision as Leo Castledine quits Huddersfield Town.

The Terriers play Burton Albion in their next third-tier game, looking to rebound from a 1-0 loss to fellow top-six side Stockport County.

Meanwhile, the West Yorkshire team will be more reliant on striker Bojan Radulovic, since League One top scorer Castledine has joined Middlesbrough on a permanent deal.

Grant expressed interest in finding a straight replacement for Leo Castledine in the upcoming transfer window.But I think that will be extremely difficult at this window.”

Castledine, who has completed his loan spell at Huddersfield, will now work to assist Middlesbrough secure a place in the Premier League next season.

Boro lost 3-1 to top-flight team Fulham in their FA Cup third-round meeting on Saturday, but they are still second in the Championship after a 4-0 victory over Southampton on January 4.

Castledine might make his debut for Kim Hellberg’s side when they play West Brom on Friday, while the Baggies are hoping for a strong start under new manager Eric Ramsay.

Leo Castledine exit is a blow as Huddersfield challenge for League One play-off spot

Huddersfield have had a generally successful season in League One thus far, as seen by their current place in the table.

Grant’s team, on the other hand, has relied largely on Castledine, who is the only player in the third division to have scored double figures this season.

The 20-year-old remained a valuable asset to the Terriers until the end of his loan spell in West Yorkshire, scoring four goals and providing one assist in his final five appearances for Grant’s side.

Huddersfield will be hoping that Saturday’s defeat to Stockport is not a harbinger of things to come now that their former loan player has secured a permanent move to the Championship.

However, Castledine’s creativity helped the Terriers win close games, as his former club failed to score in their first game after his departure.

Unfortunately for West Yorkshire, the difficulty in finding a Castledine replacement may result in an unsuccessful play-off bid.

Wycombe Wanderers, who are now in 11th place, are only six points behind the Terriers, demonstrating how swiftly Grant’s team might go down the league table if they don’t win again.