Huddersfield Town face a huge game against Luton tonight, where victory will see us all but safe from relegation and defeat would plunge Town right into the scrap at the bottom of the table.
Getting the team selection right will be tricky for Danny Cowley as he has to balance picking the best players against avoiding injury to those that have played the majority of our recent games.
This game, in theory at least, represents the easiest opportunity to notch up a win out of the remaining four. There’s an argument that picking the strongest possible team makes sense as rotation will be possible without consequence once we’ve got to the 50 points.
Here’s who I would pick for tonight’s game:
Goalkeeper: Lössl
While Grabara had some good games in his loan spell this season, we have looked a lot better at the back since Lossl rejoined Town on loan from Everton. He makes fewer errors than Grabara and is better at intelligently distributing the ball. He’s by far the best option we have, so I’d pick him.
Defence: RB: Duhaney, CB: Stearman, CB: Schindler, LB: Toffolo
Stankovic had an excellent game against Reading on Tuesday but I would still prefer Stearman due to his experience. Having as many leaders on the pitch as possible could be important, so he would get the nod despite Stankovic being better with the ball at his feet.
While, Chalobah feels like a safer option than Duhaney on the right of defence I would prefer to see the academy product given a chance. Chalobah has done an admirable job to fill in at rightback but I would prefer a specialist in that position and Duhaney has looked a threat going forward on the occasions I’ve seen him play.
Toffolo has played a lot of minutes so far and must be at high risk of injury but should still start the game. Jaden Brown’s return from injury provides another option in this position but most likely from the bench rather than as a starter until he’s regained match fitness.
Midfield: CM: Hogg CM: O’Brien
I would pick our most aggressive and hardest working pair in central midfield. They shared the Reading game between them on Tuesday, so hopefully will be fit enough to play some of the game.
Andy King and Juninho Bacuna are both available and Chalobah could also be moved back into his preferred position so there are alternatives. However, Bacuna isn’t disciplined enough, King lacks bite in the tackle and Chalobah is needed to cover defence.
Attackers: RW: Willock No 10: Smith Rowe LW: Grant
It’s hard to know what you’ll get with Willock but on his good days he’s able to beat his man and create chances out of nothing. Despite his work rate, you can’t say Kachunga creates a great deal, so I’d keep him on the bench.
Pritchard and Smith Rowe have interchanged in the number 10 role, so neither has played an excessive number of minutes. Smith Rowe looks more positive and creates more for the teammates around him. He’s more likely to give the ball away too but that’s a risk worth taking.
Grant is our most prolific player and deserves to start based on what he’s produced over the course of this season. He hasn’t looked himself in recent games but he’s always a threat even if not playing at 100%.
Striker: Campbell
Frazier Campbell was omitted from the squad on Tuesday night but I suspect this might have been to rest him for tonight. If he’s fit then he should play ahead of Mounié because he covers more ground and links up better with the other attackers.
I think Mounié could be far more effective in another team but we never play to his strengths. He’s one of the best headers of the ball in the league but we rarely give him the kind of service that makes best use of it. When he does get a good flick-on from a long ball, it’s common for the rest of the attack to be miles away rather than looking to latch on to the knock down.
Would you choose a different team? Put yours in the comments below.
Agree with your thoughts. For sure Smith Rowe has to play ahead of Pritchard, & play the whole game! For me SR is pure quality, in fact in a different league to the rest of the squad. Fast, direct, always looking to get forward & a great carrier of the ball. Will be a real talent in a few years. Lucky to have him on loan. I think Arsenal know just how much potential he has! Praying for a win tonight! UTT
I think the only problem with Smith Rowe is the rest of the team don’t know how to support him. If we made better runs when he’s on the ball he’d get more goals and assists.