HULL City boss Steve Bruce accepts he faces a series of vital decisions this week as he fine-tunes the most important team selection of his managerial career.
The Tigers are counting down the days to Saturday's FA Cup final against Arsenal, where they will go in search of a first piece of major silverware in the club's 110-year history.
Bruce is the man tasked with plotting an upset fit for FA Cup folklore and though he has plans in mind to topple the Gunners, he admits the coming days will present tactical dilemmas.
As well as checking on the fitness of Allan McGregor, Paul McShane and Sone Aluko, who all returned from injuries in Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Everton, Bruce must settle on the personnel he believes can deliver an upset.
Although captain Curtis Davies, Liam Rosenior, Ahmed Elmohamady, Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and David Meyler would all appear to be guaranteed starts alongside Matty Fryatt, who has been promised a leading role in City's attack, there is ample room for debate on the remainder of Bruce's chosen XI.
"I could make a case for 1,000 things," said Bruce, following the weekend loss to Everton. "The players have done fantastically well. I suppose it's a bit of human nature. They've had more important things to think about – the FA Cup final.
"We'll be ready. We play the mighty Arsenal in the Cup final and I'm just glad it's upon us because we've had three or four weeks where it's certainly been the most difficult time that I've managed the club."
Much will depend on the system adopted by Bruce. After seeing a 4-4-2 formation exposed by the Gunners' fluent lines in a 3-0 defeat at the KC Stadium last month, the City boss is expected to begin with greater caution at Wembley.
Whether that points towards a three-man defence or a packed midfield remains to be seen, but Bruce's options have at least been boosted by the timely returns of influential figures.
Aluko's return to action was significant as Bruce searches for an attacking figure with the guile to upset the Arsenal defence.
The Nigeria international was wonderfully effective on the wide open spaces of Wembley when introduced as a half-time substitute in the semi-final victory over Sheffield United and will be prominent in Bruce's plans again.
A lack of competitive football counters the prospect of Aluko starting, but Bruce has not ruled that out.
"When you've been out for weeks, it's difficult," said Bruce. "Do you protect him and hope you're in the game and he can come on and win it for you?
"Do you start him? These are the questions I'll be asking myself over the next couple of days.
"We'll have to see how he is and how he recovers."
The chances of McGregor featuring from the outset, however, appear far greater. Along with McShane, who returned from three months out with an ankle injury, the Scotland international made his comeback from kidney damage to stake a compelling claim to wrestle back his number one shirt.
"He's healed. Physically he doesn't have to be right," said Bruce.
"That goes for McShane too. He's been heroic in what he's trying to do. He's had ankle surgery in February. He's had a game behind closed doors because he wanted it and I have to put him in a situation where he's got a chance."
Bruce again reiterated his plans to start Fryatt at Wembley, despite only turning to his striker off the bench in the Premier League.
"To be fair, it's always going to be an issue. For the vast majority of the games, I've given Jelavic and Long a run out.
"He played 45 minutes on Tuesday and again on Sunday. I didn't really want to play him for any longer because, after his semi, Matty Fryatt will play."
Fryatt was one of the few bright points from City's limp loss to Everton on Sunday, adding energy to a tired performance, and Bruce also reserved individual praise for Stephen Quinn.
The Irishman has struggled to make his mark on the Tigers' season following the arrival of Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore and, despite scoring against Sheffield United at Wembley last month, the Everton loss was only his ninth start of 2013-14.
An excellent performance did Quinn's chances of a 10th start no harm at all and Bruce, who chose to rest Meyler for the final game of the Premier League season, said: "He's never but impressed me since he walked through the door.
"It's been a difficult year because of the form of Huddlestone, Livermore and Meyler. He's got competition but he never lets you down and again he was our best player by a million miles in our last two games."
• Hull City pair Allan McGregor and George Boyd will see their seasons extended beyond this weekend's FA Cup final after both were named in the Scotland squad to face Nigeria at Craven Cottage on May 28.
