Southampton are gearing up for the play-offs.
With three consecutive defeats sealing their fate, the Saints travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United on the final day of the season knowing the game is effectively meaningless for them.
That is not the case for Leeds, though, who would secure automatic promotion if they win and Ipswich Town fail to beat already relegated Huddersfield Town.
It is difficult for Southampton manager Russell Martin to know how to approach the Leeds game.
A disappointing defeat away at Cardiff City was followed by the 5-0 obliteration by Leicester City and Martin decided to ring the changes against Stoke City.
What followed was a terrible performance, as Southampton looked disjointed with the fringe players failing to take their chance almost to a man.
With just one game left to fine-tune his side, Martin has one key issue to address ahead of the play-offs.
Russell Martin has midfield issues
That is, what is his best midfield?
Martin plays with three central midfield players in his preferred 4-3-3 formation, with one holding player and the other two more advanced.
West Ham United loanee Flynn Downes is the first name on the team sheet when fit given how crucial he is to the way Southampton want to play.
Martin managed the 25-year-old previously at Swansea City and recently labelled the midfielder the “best in the league”.
However, Downes picked up a knock in the 3-0 win over Preston and hadn’t featured again until coming off the bench in the 63rd minute of the Stoke loss, with Martin preferring not to risk such a key player in the previous two games.
Another proverbial spanner in the works has been the injury to Stuart Armstrong.
The 32-year-old had featured in all but one Championship game this season prior to being stretchered off late against Cardiff City.
This is testament to the importance of the Scotland International and Southampton have been unable to effectively replace him since.
Armstrong’s injury is not as bad as first feared and he maintains hope of making Scotland’s Euros squad this summer but will not make the play-offs.
This gives Martin a real problem and it is one he has been juggling with as he tries to find a solution.
Against Stoke, Martin decided to shift David Brooks from his usual right wing position to occupy Armstrong’s position as the most advanced of the midfield three.
It was a role in which Brooks was expected to thrive, but the experiment failed as the Welshman was desperately disappointing.
Which midfield should Martin start in the play-offs?
Perhaps the fact that highlights the selection issues Martin is wrestling with best is that Southampton have played with five different midfield combinations in their last five games.
Some of this has been out of his control, with the injuries to Armstrong and Downes impacting the Saints boss’ options, but a lot of this has been tactical too.
Martin must decide on the midfield he is going to back for the huge post-season clashes and stop tampering with whichever trio he chooses.
Downes’ return is huge and he will be crucial in the play-offs.
When he came off at half-time against Preston, Shea Charles replaced the holding midfielder and put in his best performance in a Southampton shirt.
It was strange, then, that Martin decided to play Will Smallbone as the ‘6’ in the next game.
Charles is only 20 and his time will come, but for now Downes simply has to play.
Joe Aribo has grown in influence as the season has gone on and has become an important player for the first time in his Saints career.
The Nigerian’s physicality and ability to protect the ball are valuable assets to Martin and the 27-year-old should take up the second midfield spot in the play-offs.
The third spot is up for grabs, though.
Brooks fluffed his dress rehearsal in that role and whether Martin tries him in midfield again against Leeds will be a huge indication of whether he is preparing the Bournemouth loanee to play that role in the play-offs.
Fellow Bournemouth loanee Joe Rothwell has been incredibly disappointing since joining in January despite scoring two braces off the bench.
The 29-year-old was handed a start against Leicester and limped off after just 39 minutes.
That leaves Smallbone, who has had an up and down season.
The Southampton academy product has played in Downes’ deeper role at times this season but looks far more comfortable operating further forward.
With that in mind, coupled with the failure of those around him to grasp their opportunity, it is likely Smallbone will start in the season-defining games.
With the players he has available to Martin, a midfield of Downes, Aribo and Smallbone appears to represent the most balanced combination.