It’s why he said in the aftermath of the 1-0 friendly win last Friday that he believes it could be an exciting second half of the campaign.
The extensive injury list has not fully cleared but it is getting there, and some key figures are pushing for inclusion at the weekend. While there are a number of big decisions to be made as to the starting XI - perhaps most significant is the impact that it will have on Mowbray’s bench. For the first time, he’ll have depth and variety in almost every position to switch things up in the game.
It could also lead to some very good players missing out entirely, both this weekend and moving forward Here, we explain how it could shake out…
17. ABDOULLAH BA
Ba has been understandably inconsistent since arriving but has serious ability and his wonderful assist for Amad on Friday underlined it. The key decision for Mowbray will be whether to go with Jay Matete on the bench, who has been important in seeing out some recent wins and impressed himself against Al-Shabab. Photo: Frank Reid
18. LYNDEN GOOCH
Will be in the squad at the very least if fit and firing, as he looked to be last week in Dubai. Photo: Frank Reid
19. ELLIOT EMBLETON
His versatility means it’s always hard to judge where he’ll be deployed but will have a role to play. Photo: FRANK REID 2022
20. SOME MORE BIG CONTENDERS
Leon Dajaku came close to scoring on a couple of occasions on Friday but his place in the squad on Saturday could well depend on whether or not Stewart is fit to feature. Then there’s Niall Huggins - who produced a remarkable performance on his comeback against Birmingham, which came sooner than anyone anticipated or had planned for. He improved as the game went on and looked really sharp last Friday, but the returning defenders may mean he misses out this time. And at this stage, we’re still not sure whether Edouard Michut will be available after a recent groin injury. He trained with the side in Dubai but was not involved in the friendly against Al-Shabab. Dan Ballard is unlikely to be available, but will be a key figure when he is. Photo: Frank Reid