'International exertions, five at the back, who to play up front' - the key decisions ahead of Middlesbrough's trip to Sheff Wed

However, with the Friday-night fixture coming at the end of an international break, and with his side having flopped in their most recent outing against Nottingham Forest, Boro boss Tony Pulis has some key decisions to make in the next 24 hours.

SHOULD PULIS PLAY HIS RETURNING INTERNATIONALS?

ON OPPOSITE SIDES: George Saville lined up against Mo Besic as Northern Ireland took on Bosnia this week

Middlesbrough had nine players away on international duty last week, Sheffield Wednesday just one. Clearly, that is a massive disadvantage to the Teessiders, and Pulis has been extremely critical of the Football League’s decision to allow Sky Sports to televise Friday’s game. Now, though, he has to decide what to do with his international contingent.

The toughest decision will relate to Mo Besic and George Saville, who lined up against each other as Bosnia beat Northern Ireland in Sarajevo on Monday night. Paddy McNair was also involved in the game, and the trio did not return to Boro’s Rockliffe Park training ground until this morning.

Ordinarily, Besic and Saville would almost certainly have started against Sheffield Wednesday, but they have not been involved in any of the tactical work Pulis has overseen in the last fortnight. Should he pitch them straight back in on Friday, or might the likes of Adam Clayton, who was a substitute against Forest, and Grant Leadbitter, who has been struggling to make the squad recently, come into his thinking as they have been around all week?

Darren Randolph will start at Hillsborough despite having played in the Republic of Ireland’s home defeat to Wales last night, but Pulis might also have reservations about Martin Braithwaite, who scored Denmark’s second goal in last night’s 2-0 friendly win over Austria.

IS IT TIME TO REVERT TO FIVE AT THE BACK?

OUT OF ACTION: Dael Fry has not been involved in Boro's last few games

In the early weeks of the season, Pulis played with a five-man defence, with Dael Fry tending to play alongside Daniel Ayala and Aden Flint at the heart of the backline.

The ploy was abandoned when Fry was dropped for last month’s 2-0 home win over Bolton Wanderers, and since then, Boro have stuck to a flat back four with Ayala and Flint at centre-half.

Having kept eight clean sheets already this season, Boro’s defence is one of their biggest strengths, but there were times during the 2-0 defeat to Forest when they looked unusually shaky.

With Danny Baath also available following his deadline-day move from Wolves, might there be an argument for switching back to five defenders on Friday in an attempt to contain a Sheffield Wednesday side that have outscored Boro by five goals this season?

Pulis will want to keep things tight, and a switch to a back five might also release Boro’s full-backs to be much more positive. In the absence of natural wingers, a wing-back system might be the best way to generate some attacking width.

WHO SHOULD START UP FRONT?

ATTACKING OPTION: Middlesbrough striker Britt Assombalonga

This is probably the biggest imponderable when it comes to Pulis’ thinking at the moment. Is Britt Assombalonga Boro’s likeliest match winner, or does the all-round game of either Jordan Hugill or Rudy Gestede merit them featuring in the starting line-up?

Assombalonga’s four goals make him Boro’s leading scorer this season, but the club’s record signing was relegated to the bench for the games against Ipswich and Nottingham Forest and failed to strengthen his cause when he missed his side’s best opportunity in the latter of those two matches.

The former Forest man is the best finisher in the Boro team, but Pulis clearly harbours reservations about his overall contribution and has never entrusted him with an especially lengthy run in the side. That said, however, if chances are at a premium, Assombalonga is surely the best chance of one being converted.

Pulis has started with Hugill in Boro’s last three games, and the Teessider’s energy and physicality make him a decent fit for his manager’s preferred approach. However, the West Ham loanee’s only Boro goal came in the Carabao Cup and his failure to open his Championship account is a concern.

Gestede is the other option, and Pulis seems to like the 30-year-old’s aerial ability. Having trained intensively during the last fortnight, his fitness should have improved, and he would ask different questions of the Wednesday defence. Worryingly, though, he has only scored two Championship goals in more than 12 months.

HOW CAN THE CREATIVITY LEVELS BE INCREASED?

CREATIVE ASSET: Middlesbrough forward Martin Braithwaite

For all that they are ensconced in the top four, Boro have only scored six goals in their last seven league games. Creating chances remains an issue.

Pulis knows that, hence his desire to sign attacking players in the final few days of the transfer window and his obvious disappointment when a number of his targets fell through the net. He will hope to remedy the situation in January, but for now, his challenge is to come up with a way of enhancing his side’s attacking threat while retaining their defensive qualities.

Braithwaite is probably the key to that, although the Dane is still to really carve out a defined position. Is he best as a ‘number ten’, playing on the shoulder of a lone forward, or should he line up in a wide position where he can cut in?

The same question can be asked of Stewart Downing, whose passing ability remains as well-honed as ever even if he has lost a yard or two of pace. Pulis has shied away from fielding Downing as a ‘number ten’, but increasingly, that might be his best position.

Then, there is Lewis Wing, who started the season like a house on fire, but who has not played a single minute of Championship football since August 18. Wing impressed in the Carabao Cup win at Preston – is it time to give him another opportunity in the league?