Hi °C | Lo °C Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington is facing a serious selection headache in only his second game in charge.
It's the kind of dilemma he will relish though.
After winning 3-1 against Liechtenstein in his first match last week Worthington now has a Premier League midfielder pushing for a return to the side.
Damien Johnson missed last Wednesday's game at Windsor Park, but with another vital Euro 2008 qualifier looming on Saturday week away to Latvia the Birmingham City captain is about to return to full training after a hamstring injury which was sustained a month ago, which means he hasn't kicked a ball yet this season.
"It has been frustrating for Damien, especially after he missed quite a chunk of last season with his fractured jaw," said Birmingham manager Steve Bruce.
"We expect him to step up his rehab and start training again.
"It will be good to have him back in contention and we were certainly short in numbers in the midfield area during the early part of the season."
Worthington is also hoping that captain Aaron Hughes and Manchester United youngster Jonny Evans will be fit for the double header away to Latvia and Iceland as he looks for six points to strengthen hopes of qualification for next summer's Euro 2008 finals in Austria and Switzerland.
Meanwhile Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez hopes his midfield duo of Northern Ireland star Steve Davis and Alexei Smertin will provide them with enough quality to overcome League Two side Shrewsbury in the second round of the Carling Cup tonight.
Sanchez has been critical of his team's inability to hold on to a lead and knows he cannot afford to suffer a humiliating exit at the hands of the Shrews.
Fulham threw away another lead against Aston Villa on Saturday and former Northern Ireland boss Sanchez is becoming increasingly frustrated.
The Cottagers are already struggling near the foot of the Barclays Premier League but Sanchez hopes his energetic midfield duo will have enough quality to steer them into the next round of the cup competition.
"Steven's got great energy and gets about the field. He gets among players, wins the ball and gets things started off," he said.
"It's the nitty-gritty stuff in midfield that the rest of the team need and you don't tend to get a lot of credit for that.
"He needs to add goals to his game. He could have scored against Arsenal but he also creates things for other people.
"I think once he gets his feet firmly under the table he'll be a real big influence over the Fulham midfield for many years to come.
"The two midfield players at Fulham outran anybody else over the first three games. Davis and Smertin are continual motion and you need that in the centre of midfield.
"You need players who can get around the field and be an option for you. I have been very impressed with our two central midfield players."
But the Fulham boss hopes to add to his playing squad before the end of the transfer deadline this week. Celtic pair Thomas Gravesen and Kenny Miller top his most-wanted list. Fulham have also taken Stuttgart forward Danijel Ljuboja on trial.
