It may seem strange to say that a week with an EFL Trophy trip to the team 22nd in League Two and an FA Cup tie against a non-league side is a big one for Bristol Rovers, but for several of Joey Barton's players, it could be a crucial audition for a variety of reasons as the January transfer window looms.
Not in the sense of putting themselves in the shop window, but competition for places in Barton's squad is growing and the manager is sure to want to make at least one or two additions in the transfer market. Barton has proved before he is not one for sentiment and he will make the tough calls as he sees fit.
And the queue for a starting shirt is only due to get longer in the weeks ahead, with Ryan Loft on the verge of a return from injury and Harry Anderson and Paul Coutts not far behind. Players on the fringes, therefore, may drift further from contention with the prospect of new signings being added to the mix after Christmas.
Other players who are not starting games lately have much more security regarding their futures and they are grafting to get themselves in the team rather than keeping hold of a place in BS7 altogether. Luke McCormick, for example, is fresh off signing a three-year contract after rejoining the club in the summer and he is awaiting liftoff for his second stint at the Mem, making just six starts and sitting on the bench for the entirety of the past two league games.
But he remains at the heart of Barton's plans for the future, as does Luca Hoole. The young Welsh defender is part of the strategy for tomorrow as well as today, but he has had his confidence dented by a tough start to life in League One and the manager has decided to give him some time out of the firing line in recent weeks. Barton is sure the right-back will "be back stronger than ever."
John Marquis isn't going anywhere, either, but he finds himself behind Aaron Collins, Josh Coburn and Loft in the pecking order and the former Portsmouth and Doncaster Rovers striker, who admittedly missed a month with a knee injury before returning to contention a couple of weeks ago. Regardless, he will want a more prominent role.
All three – who are contracted to the Gas beyond the end of this season – are likely to play a significant part in the Papa John's Trophy tie at Colchester United on Wednesday and Sunday's FA Cup second-round tie against Boreham Wood and they will be eager to advance their claims for starting chances.
The future for other players appears less clear and in a week when Barton could make multiple changes to keep his squad fresh with the festive period looming, there could be a window of opportunity. In the league, the hierarchy in each third of the pitch is pretty well set, meaning chances like this are few and far between.
Harvey Saunders brings value to the squad as an impact sub, but he is the fifth striker in the squad and the addition of Scott Sinclair to the squad has only crowded the options for the frontline.
Former Fleetwood Town speedster Saunders is out of contract at the end of the season and he gives absolutely everything every time he dons the blue and white quarters, but the form of others around him has left his chances at a minimum this season. Barton will always see value in the 25-year-old in a substitute capacity, but Saunders will want to be more than that.
Trevor Clarke has a deal that runs until 2024, but it has been a turbulent season for the Irishman with the former Rotherham United full-back exiled from the squad early August after a row with the manager. It appeared there was no way back, but to the defender's credit he has grafted to regain a place in the squad.
However, Lewis Gordon is the man in possession of the left-back and left wing-back roles, whichever formation Barton chooses. In such a taxing position, Gordon will likely get a rest and 24-year-old Clarke ought to get a chance to impress that he will need to take if he wants to give the manager a headache.
Alfie Kilgour, still aged just 24, is Rovers' most experienced centre-back by a distance, but after a torrid time with injuries over the past two years, he has not regained a regular starting spot. James Connolly, Bobby Thomas and Lewis Gibson are the men in possession, leaving Kilgour as the next man up – although he has not featured in any of the past eight games.
With Connolly just back from injury and Gibson enduring a run of knocks and niggles over the past 12 months, Kilgour is likely to start at Colchester and he is well aware of what's on the line with the end of his contract on the horizon. He said rather frankly in September: “I will be out of a job, basically, come June 1 so I’m working hard and we’ll see what happens. There’s no other club I’d rather play for. I’m settled here and I want to do everything for Bristol Rovers.”
Zain Westbrooke is another man whose contract ends in 2023, but while Kilgour has a chance to earn a new deal, the former Coventry City midfielder is heading towards the exit door. He has played just three times this season and he has not featured in the league since the opening day.
A frustrating spell on loan at Stevenage last season seemed to seal his fate at Rovers but an exit route in the summer did not materialise. He would well feature in Wednesday's EFL Trophy game, but it feels too late for one great performance to turn his Rovers career; he needs a fresh start and he deserves to be playing regularly somewhere else, but his move to the Mem in 2020 has proved to be a significant disappointment for all parties.
The upcoming games for the Gas may not have the importance of a league fixture, but on an individual level it could be a significant week for many.
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