Matthias Jaissle faces a selection dilemma at Newcastle United after Lewis Hall returned from international duty in strong form, with Dan Burn also closing in on a comeback from a summer ankle injury.
Hall, who came through the ranks at Chelsea, has been a regular at left-back for the Magpies this season and featured three times during the recent autumn window for England.
In his final appearance, he provided an assist for Harry Kane, heading the ball across for the England captain to score past Czechia goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.
The defender’s displays have helped him put behind him a difficult end to the previous campaign.
Burn, meanwhile, has indicated he expects to be available again after the international break, having been ruled out since pre-season.
Last term, Eddie Howe selected the experienced defender at left-back ahead of Hall in the closing stages, a decision that some supporters felt had damaged the younger player’s hopes of going to the World Cup.
With Hall now firmly established, Jaissle is unlikely to move him out of the left-back slot to accommodate Burn on his return.
Instead, the manager will have to weigh up options in central defence, where Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman have started to build a partnership.
Burn could be considered as a direct replacement for one of that pair, particularly given that Botman’s form has been inconsistent, though the tall defender might instead be eased back with a substitute appearance against Coventry on Monday.
The situation also has an international dimension.
Burn remains part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans with England, but Hall’s progress means the head coach now has genuine competition for the left-sided role.
After a 3-0 win over Czechia at Wembley, Tuchel indicated that rivalry for places within the squad is exactly what is required, noting that the players had produced another strong camp and that the contest for selection was under way.
For Jaissle, who has dealt with a number of injuries since taking charge on Tyneside, the headache of fitting two senior options into the same area of the pitch is an unwelcome consequence of improved availability.
The prospect of Hall dropping back to the bench, as happened earlier this year, appears remote given his current trajectory.
The Newcastle manager has spoken positively about Hall, expressing admiration for what he has seen from the player and describing him as an amazing talent.