Having started the 2019/20 Championship campaign with an impressive 1-0 victory over Fulham, Barnsley looked as if they had immediately settled into their new surroundings following last season's promotion from League One.

However, with the season now several weeks old, the Tykes are in desperate need of a positive result having failed to win any of their last four games in all competitions.

After suffering defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two side Carlisle United.

Despite showing some signs of promise in last weekend's 2-2 draw against Charlton Athletic, Tuesday's lacklustre performance at St Andrew's saw them lost 2-0 to Birmingham City.

Although questions will be asked about the state of their defence having conceded a total of nine goals during these aforementioned fixtures, the fact that they failed to find the back of the net on three separate occasions should also be a worry.

Having sold Kieffer Moore to Wigan Athletic earlier this summer, Barnsley manager Daniel Stendel has since placed his faith in Conor Chaplin and Cauley Woodrow to deliver the goods.

Even though they have both netted in this campaign, the former was fairly toothless against Birmingham as he struggled to cope with the tempo of the game.

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Given that Saturday's clash against Luton Town represents a real opportunity for Barnsley to get back on track, Stendel should consider turning to Patrick Schmidt.

Signed by the Tykes on transfer deadline day from Admira Wacker for a reported fee of £1.08m (via Transfermarkt), the 5ft 10" forward displayed some neat touches during Tuesday's clash with Birmingham and may now be ready to lead the line having experienced his first taste of Championship football.

Already an Austrian Under-21 international, Schmidt could turn out to be the perfect fit for Stendel's possession-based style of play as not only is he very accomplished on the ball but he is also blessed with an abundance of pace.

Having found the back of the net on nine occasions during the previous campaign in his native country, the forward will be hoping to replicate, or even exceed this total for Barnsley.

Yet in order for him to have a chance of achieving this goal, he must first be given an opportunity to prove himself by Stendel who arguably has yet to figure out his strongest starting lineup this season.

If Schmidt does get the call to start at the weekend, it would not be at all surprising if he helps Barnsley overcome the challenge of Luton by opening his account for his new side.