Graham Potter is taking his pre match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s game against Southampton, and for the first week in what feels like months, there was minimal injury news.
Almost all of Potter’s squad are fit enough for at least the bench now, and he will be relieved to have so many options available.
The one doubt was Raheem Sterling – and Potter has said there’s a good chance he will be on the bench after a month or so out.
Now we reach the problem of how we fit all these players in. Sterling will be competing with Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic, Joao Felix, Mason Mount and others for minutes.
So even as Potter’s life gets easier, it starts to get harder too. Decisions over who plays and who doesn’t play become tougher, and his excuses start to evaporate. He’s had his managerial skills tested in one way, now we see them tested in another.