Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray has indicated he may have to make changes to his side as they prepare to face Swansea City.
Blackburn head into this game having won their last four games in a row in the Championship but winning the last three games thanks to an unchanged starting 11 against Brentford, Stoke City, and Derby County.
This resurgence has seen the Rovers climb away from the relegation zone and move to within just four points of the play-off places as they make the trip to the Liberty Stadium tonight.
A win could see Mowbray’s side move to within just one point of sixth-placed Preston North End and they will be eager to do so as Swansea continue to slump under Steve Cooper.
Like most strong runs of form, it presents a unique dilemma for the manager, who has to decide between whether he keeps his faith in the side that has done so well or to add some fresh legs to the lineup.
Speaking to the club’s official site ahead of tonight’s game, Tony Mowbray was weighing up the pros and cons of fielding a fourth straight unchanged lineup, where he said: “The temptation is to leave the team alone and see if we can keep winning, but somewhere down the line that can’t be the case.
“You can’t keep sending them out to keep going. It's another three-game week and it’s really tough because of the demands we put on the players.
“We’re not a team that totally dominates the ball and just stands in one position not running. We’re on the front foot and it’s a very physically demanding game that we’re asking them to play.
“And that becomes difficult for certain players because it’s not the most natural part of their game. We have to look at the team and get the balance right.
“It’s because of the nature of the Championship and the different teams you play.”
When alluding to energy levels and the gruelling nature of the festive schedule, he added: “You want to keep the same team and the same spirit, but somewhere down the line it’ll be one game too many for them and they’ll look a bit lethargic and weary," he added.
“You have hungry, fresh players desperate to start a football match. They’re like caged tigers wanting to get stuck in and win every challenge for us.
“That’s the balance that we need to strike and we’ll assess today [Tuesday] ahead of picking a team that we feel can go to Swansea and get a result."
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The Verdict
It is a tough decision that Mowbray faces because the players who have earned this winning streak have not warranted being dropped at all. There is also the flip side to this argument that the players cannot continue this dazzling run forever and fatigue will kick in, especially with the fixtures unrelenting.
Mowbray will have to be cautious with his selection, knowing that he has another tough away game at the weekend when they face Bristol City.