As the old cliche goes, never change a winning side.
Although that could be out of Nigel Pearson's hands against Barnsley as he weighs up the risk vs reward factor with several of his first-team players still likely to be feeling the burn.
His side left it all out on the pitch on Saturday to help end a run of three straight defeats in a scrappy but euphoric victory over play-off hopefuls Blackburn Rovers.
It was a victory "badly needed" as Pearson put it at the full-time whistle and it has certainly relieved the mounting pressure on the shoulders of the manager and players heading into the game at Oakwell.
Going from playing an out-of-form side fourth in the league, to a side fighting for their lives towards the foot of the Championship will conjure up its own unique problems that Pearson will be scribbling on his whiteboard to find another winning formula.
He changed up his tactics on Saturday by playing a flat three in midfield, and it worked a treat as they provided an extra layer of protection in front of a fragile defence.
But with certain players may requiring a rest, here's how we think City will shape up against Barnsley.
Goalkeeper and defence
We've been running out of superlatives for Dan Bentley since his return to the side and his fine form was on show yet again on Saturday.
Three very important saves stick out in the memory; the save from the corner in the first half, the sprawling stop down to his left in the second and of course the penalty stop late on.
The decision to drop him for Max O'Leary over December and the New Year may remain controversial, but it appears to have given Bentley the focus and desire to perform to the top of his game to ensure he remains No1.
While Bentley will start tonight, it's worth noting that O'Leary wasn't on the bench against Rovers, instead young goalkeeper Harvey Wiles-Richards taking his place.
There's a lot to dissect with the defence so it's worth starting with the formation. A return to a back three with wing-backs on Saturday yielded a victory and therefore one can only assume Pearson will stick with that once again with the back four experiment on the backburner.
Particularly on the back of a clean sheet, the obvious decision would be to stick with Rob Atkinson on the left side, Timm Klose through the middle and Robbie Cundy out to his right.
Klose and Atkinson are bankers to start but for reasons mentioned in this article highlighting Pearson's dilemma, Cundy's involvement remains the big debate.
Saturday was his first 90 minutes since featuring for Gillingham last season and only his fifth appearance of the season following a knee injury that has had a huge impact on his campaign. It was no surprise that Cundy looked leggy towards the end of the game with Pearson also acknowledging his tiredness.
It will all be down to the advice of medical staff and how the player feels whether he would be chanced with starting a second game in four days but ideally, Pearson would be eager to keep him in the side.
Tomas Kalas could fill the role if fit, but it remains a big if after missing out on Saturday with a groin injury. Pearson also mentioned on Thursday how he believes the centre-back needs a rest following three years of constant football and therefore he will be reluctant to bring him back into the frame so quickly.
That leaves Cam Pring as an option in the middle although he has been forced to find his way back into the side having not started a game since the defeat at Swansea over a month ago. Zak Vyner can also play at the back but he hasn't featured in the last two matchday squads.
Assuming Jay Dasilva starts again following another hugely impressive display against Blackburn, we're back to the old question as to who plays out on the right.
It was Andi Weimann who won the raffle on Saturday and Pearson's bravery was rewarded with a dramatic late goal in front of the travelling fans. Following the clean sheet and Weimann's performance in particular, it seems difficult to imagine the manager switching it up once again.
Alex Scott in that position would be the most realistic other option, with Weimann back in his industrial No10 role but Pearson is likely to play his cards safe.
Midfield
The flat midfield three of Matty James, Joe Williams and Alex Scott nullified a Blackburn midfield and provided a shield to help ensure the ball stayed out of Bentley's net.
James didn't deliver his best showing against Birmingham in the week prior but he looked solid at the weekend, as he looks to build his match fitness following time spent on the sidelines.
Just over a week ago, Pearson mentioned that they don't need to be cautious with his minutes due to the nature of his injury and therefore he will be once again pushing for a start.
That doesn't apply to his team-mate Williams who they do have to be careful when deciding how much game time he can manage.
The last time City had three games in a week, Williams started on the bench on the Tuesday night in the defeat at home to Coventry, coming on for the final 14 minutes.
In the time prior to that, a 73-minute cameo in the week against Reading meant Pearson also ensured he was wrapped in cotton wool on the bench in the following fixture against Swansea.
Of course, since then, Williams' match fitness is continuing to progress even though he conceded on Thursday that he's still not at those required levels just yet.
So there's the big dilemma, is Pearson willing to risk him with a game against West Brom at the weekend? Only he will know the answer to that until he announces his starting XI but Williams was excellent against Rovers - his performance perhaps overshadowed by the heroics of Bentley and Weimann.
The obvious replacement would be Han-Noah Massengo but his cameo on Saturday showed just how low his confidence is at the moment. He gave the ball away frequently and then conceded the penalty which Bentley bailed him out of trouble.
It came off the back of a bad showing against Nottingham Forest, in which he was then an unused substitute against Birmingham. His ability remains clear to see, but whether Pearson trusts him enough at the moment to start a game will be telling on Tuesday night.
Ayman Benarous is another option but the youngster may lack the discipline needed to play in a flat three should Pearson opt to go with that system once again. In six of his starts this season, five of those have come at home suggesting the manager would prefer a more defensive-minded midfielder.
Alex Scott may not have had his greatest game on Saturday, but he has plenty of credit in the bank and will undoubtedly feature whether that's in midfield or out at wing-back.
Strikers
Nahki Wells' cameo on Saturday arguably changed the game and that will have given manager Pearson plenty of food for thought heading into Barnsley.
The striker was introduced for Antoine Semenyo just after the hour mark and his movement caused plenty of issues, including in the build-up to the goal.
A ball from Dasilva down the line found Wells who had made the move - debatably offside but who cares? - before his layoff found Williams whose slice then landed into the path of Weimann. Straight off the training ground.
He didn't grab a goal for himself, but Wells' performance is another reminder that he's ready to start from the off should he be called upon.
Just how many reminders he needs to leave remain to be seen but Pearson could well be tempted to opt with Wells in the attack and hand one of Antoine Semenyo or Chris Martin a rest.
It was Semenyo who was substituted at the weekend after fading in the contest despite a bright start and he looks to be struggling to hit the same levels of form we have come to expect in the last month or so. That's four games now without a goal or assist, nothing to get concerned about but worth noting in the back of the mind.
Martin is just a trooper and Pearson remains so reluctant to leave him out of the side because he's such a vital cog in the system. Again, he was namechecked by the manager on Saturday when he said: "Chris Martin was great up top as well in terms of getting us up the pitch, a lot of people don’t recognise what he does for the team but he was great."
He's also vital in a defensive manner and that is the reason why he has started the last 11 matches - expect that to be 12 later this evening.
Bristol City (5-3-2): Bentley, Weimann, Cundy, Klose, Atkinson, Dasilva, James, Williams, Scott, Martin, Semenyo
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