By the time we kick-off against Aston Villa on Sunday, our automatic promotion hopes could be all but over if Sheffield United are able to beat Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Their superior goal difference and the six-point gap a Blades win could create would near enough guarantee that we end the season as a Play-Off qualifying outfit, destined to face Derby County – based on the Rams’ current sixth-place standing.
Knowing our fate has effectively been sealed, Marcelo Bielsa could turn to the fringes of his squad to rest the weary legs that have got us this far, and offer some of the lesser-seen faces a chance to impress as the season draws to a close.
There is always the potential that Dean Smith rests some of his key Villa players for their trip to Elland Road, as a ploy to keep Bielsa guessing should we face them at Wembley for a spot in the Premier League.
Tammy Abraham, for one, is a doubt for the game as he looks to return from injury before the Play-Offs engage.
HITC journalist Jordan Harris certainly feels the boss should look to change things up this weekend, as he has suggested that having our fate sealed could allow Jack Clarke to return to his best.
Clarke has been very out of sorts whenever he’s played since collapsing on the bench at Middlesbrough, and was ineffective off the bench in our defeats to Wigan last Friday and Brentford on Monday.
It would be wrong to say that both games passed the 18-year-old by, as Clarke attempted 17 passes against the Latics once on the pitch, which was a tally only bettered by Pablo Hernandez and Luke Ayling for us.
Against the Bees, however, Clarke was ineffective on the wing, and he only tried his hand at seven passes, despite the right-hand side enjoying more of the ball through Hernandez (29 passes) and Ayling (22 passes), compared to Jack Harrison (8) and Stuart Dallas (13) on the left.
For Bielsa to see that level of involvement at Griffin Park and then start Clarke against Villa on Sunday would be a huge gamble, and one he cannot make.
Yes, it could help the teenager find his way a bit quicker as the pressure would be reduced. But the boss would be better-served keeping with the men who have got us this far, as they are more likely to make an impact in the Play-Offs and are clearly in need of a return to form themselves, and what better side is there right now to do that against than Villa?
If things do not work against the Birmingham-based outfit, especially a weakened Villa side, then the Ipswich game would be a far better opportunity to tweak the line-up and see who is willing to go the extra mile to get us back into the Premier League.