Southampton are preparing for their trip to league leaders Leicester City on Tuesday night.
With just three Championship games left of the season, a trip to one of the sides in the automatic promotion spots represents a huge opportunity.
However, with Southampton frustratingly losing 2-1 to a Cardiff City side with little to play for on Saturday, the play-offs appears to be the most likely route to the Premier League.
To add to the defeat, Russell Martin is having his worst injury crisis of the campaign at the worst possible time.
First, he lost first-choice goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu to an achilles injury in the warm-up against Preston last week. Then Flynn Downes picked up a knock which saw him withdrawn at half-time in the same game.
On Saturday, Ryan Manning was forced off at half-time with a knock of his own, before Stuart Armstrong suffered a season-ending injury in second-half stoppage time.
Russell Martin provides Flynn Downes update
Speaking to the media ahead of the trip to Leicester on Monday morning, Martin was non-committal on whether Downes will return to the side against the Foxes.
Will Smallbone stepped into the number six role against Cardiff, but Shea Charles was hard done by after an impressive second-half display against Preston days earlier.
Asked whether we will see Downes return to the side on Tuesday night, Martin said: “We’ll wait and see because now the landscape’s changed a little bit. So, it’s risk and reward I think with Flynn, we’ll see if we want to rush him back fit.”
It is interesting that the Saints boss considers his side’s chances of automatic promotion as too much of a long shot to risk Downes’ future involvement in potential play-off games, but perhaps his realism should be praised.
If Downes is not deemed fit to play then you would have to think Charles will be given the opportunity to take his place due to his superior defensive capabilities when compared with Smallbone.
This may not be at the expense of Smallbone, though, as there is a high chance the Irish international will be tasked with filling the void left by Stuart Armstrong alongside Joe Aribo; the Nigerian impressing in recent weeks.
Martin hints at rotation in next three games
What was most interesting about Martin’s response regarding Downes was perhaps what he followed up with.
The ex-Swansea City boss added that: “We also have other guys that need to get on the pitch and stake a claim now for the final stages of the season so we’ll have to wait and see.”
Whilst this may be in reference to Charles getting his chance, it opens the door for a number of the lesser-involved members of the squad to push for a starting spot.
It also hints at Martin utilising the remaining three games to find the winning formula ahead of the play-offs, as well as managing players’ minutes ahead of the make or break fixtures.
The likes of Joe Rothwell, who has struggled to earn a starting spot since joining on loan from Bournemouth in January, Samuel Edozie, Ryan Fraser and Kamaldeen Sulemana could all see more football in the remaining three games of the regulation season.
Each of those four players came off the bench against Cardiff on Saturday and failed to make an impact.
An opportunity to play themselves into form ahead of the play-offs could be a good idea given substitutes are likely to be required to influence such important games.
With injuries coupled with fatigue and dips in form, Martin needs to find the right balance. It appears he is ready to try and do that, starting with Leicester on Tuesday.