2 Barnsley dilemmas facing Poya Asbaghi during this international break

Battling to survive the Championship drop, Barnsley find themselves five points from safety with eight games left to play. 

Poya Asbaghi’s side have certainly improved in more recent weeks, despite losing last time out at Sheffield United, with the Tykes appearing to be fighting until the very end.

Barnsley host Reading after the international break, with the Royals being the side that the Yorkshire outfit are facing next, placing even more importance on resuming on the right foot after the international break. 

Here, we take a look at two dilemmas facing Asbaghi during this international break…

A midfield change?

Matty Wolfe and Claudio Gomes found things difficult against Sheffield United at the weekend with the pair being overrun by the experience of Oliver Norwood and Conor Hourihane and the athleticism of Sander Berge. 

Romal Palmer, who played frequently during last season’s play-off finish, stands out as an immediate option, however, the aforementioned duo have worked well together for the most part. 

Not too many teams win the midfield battle against the Blades, so it is unlikely that Saturday’s performance will bring up too many concerns. 

Sticking with the formation?

Barnsley have trialled a fair few different formations throughout this season, and whilst player availability has sometimes forced them to alter things, that is not always the case. 

Mads Andersen and Michal Helik have been two of Barnsley’s top performers this season, whilst Liam Kitching has shown excellent progression and provides balance as a left-footed central defender. 

However, their more recent switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation means that Kitching has had to miss out or has been deployed as a left-back

With two weeks to continue assessing his