Just over one month ago, Bristol City's goalkeeping situation was relatively straightforward.
Club captain Dan Bentley was the No1, Max O'Leary was back-up and summer signing Stefan Bajic would be waiting patiently for his opportunity in the senior side after impressing with the Under-21s.
Then came the 3-0 defeat at Birmingham City which sparked a change in the hierarchy. Three desperately poor set-piece goals saw Nigel Pearson make the brave call to drop Bentley for O'Leary as history repeated itself from last December when the Republic of Ireland international was handed the No1 shirt for nine games.
Injury curtailed his opportunity to make that position his own but the 26-year-old didn't particularly grasp it with both hands having conceded 21 goals during that spell. However, even his harshest critics will have to hold their hands up and admit he deserves to keep his place going forward - emphasised by his brilliant performance at Middlesbrough.
Where that leaves Bentley is uncertain but his long-term future in BS3 does seem increasingly ominous and Tuesday night's fixture against Lincoln could clear up a few unanswered questions. One would assume he comes back into the team to take on the League One opponents to keep him match-fit.
Although it may not be as simple as that. In the previous two Carabao Cup victories in August, when Bentley was No1, Pearson opted against changing his keeper for the wins against Coventry and Wycombe. With just two victories in 12, the manager has spoken of his intentions to pick a relatively strong team to get back to winning ways.
There's also the argument for Stefan Bajic to be handed his first opportunity with the senior side. A summer signing from Ligue 2 Pau, there's no doubt the 20-year-old has made a positive impact during his brief spell in BS3.
Last month, Pearson admitted he was fast-tracking himself into contention following a string of impressive performances for the Under-21s. Bajic has also turned heads in training and has been travelling with the senior squad to matches since the 3-2 win at Blackburn on September 3.
The manager said of Bajic: "(He's been) very, very good. Very positive. He'll be coming into the reckoning. He has been travelling with the squad and trains very, very well. He's just a very positive person and I think that's good for us.
"It creates more competition and I suppose he falls into the category of when we signed him he was one for the future but he may fast-track himself just by being in the right place at the right time."
So there's a case for Pearson to go with all three goalkeepers. Bajic hasn't been involved in a matchday squad yet and therefore promoting him to start between the sticks may seem premature but he has to have his opportunity at some point.
Whatever decision he opts for will be intriguing but if Bentley doesn't start, that would be considered a damning indictment of his position in the team going forward. Not just in the short-term but the long-term too.
Bentley, who turns 30 on his next birthday, is out of contract in the summer. Towards the end of last season, he spoke that his representatives had made contact with the club over a potential extension to his deal.
Judging by Pearson's recent comment at the fans forum, it doesn't appear those talks have progressed much further. The manager admitted it's too early in the season to be negotiating new deals for players whose contracts expire in 2023.
He also touched upon the fact that players such as Tomas Kalas, Nahki Wells and Jay Dasilva (although he didn't name them), all of whom are also approaching the ends of their deals, will need to take reductions because of the current financial climate.
Having arrived at the club in 2019 when City were happily opening the chequebook to offer players lucrative contracts, Bentley is likely to be towards the earners on the upper ends of the spectrum. That poses an issue in itself because there's still a need to reduce the wage bill.
Departing CEO Richard Gould recently shared City's financial situation by declaring they are around £10million better off than last year, having posted losses of £38.4m. Although he warned "significant losses" are still to be expected at the end of the financial year.
Now we can only speculate about whether or not City will want to keep Bentley at the club beyond this season but if he can't force himself back into the reckoning while being asked to reduce his salary, it wouldn't exactly be the most appealing of offers to stay put.
Bentley's a proud man and player who wears his heart on his sleeve. He made it no secret how he hated his spell out of the side last season.
He won't shy away from the disappointment of his recent exclusion and even Pearson admitted he has been "grumpy" having found himself on the substitute bench. But a man of his character, with his winning mentality and determination to succeed, Bentley won't be content with playing second fiddle.
The first signs that the writing is on the wall emerged when Bajic signed and since then, all signs do seem to be pointing towards an exit with a new change of guard.
O'Leary's deal also expires in 2023 but the club have the year's option which they are likely to take advantage of. Firstly because his recent form suggests he has plenty to offer and secondly because it protects City from a financial standpoint to avoid losing him for nothing.
Freeing up Bentley's wages and promoting Bajic would make financial sense come the end of the season but in the short-term, the game against Lincoln will determine the levels of trust Pearson has in the goalkeeper at the moment.
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