Nottingham Forest boss Chris Hughton admits there is “disappointment” at not being able to field full-back Djed Spence against Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.
The summer signing made his debut on Sunday, coming into a new-look back line as the Reds were beaten 2-1 by Cardiff City.
But he is ineligible to play against parent club Boro, as part of the terms of his season-long loan at the City Ground.
And that leaves Hughton short of options at right-back, with fellow new arrival Mohamed Drager still self-isolating and Jordi Osei-Tutu sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
He could turn to teenager Fin Back, who has acquitted himself well whenever called upon, while centre-back Loic Mbe Soh has experience of that position.
“We do have some options,” said Hughton. “Some of our full-back options are not available.
“As always, whenever we make decisions, we hope we make the right one.
“Where we are fortunate at the moment is, we don’t have too many injuries.
“Jordi is the only injury we have at the moment. His injury is still ongoing. He will still be a matter of weeks away.
“But having got Djed Spence in for his first game, it is a disappointment to lose him in only his second game.”
While Spence and left-back Max Lowe made their first appearances at the weekend, there was no place in the matchday squad for others who arrived late in the transfer window, such as Xande Silva.
“That was just choice,” said Hughton.
“We have players who came very late in the window. Two of those players (Drager and Braian Ojeda) still won’t be with us for another week (due to travelling from red list countries while on international duty).
“Silva was one of those who came in late. We are still learning about him, his strengths and where he fits into that forward line.”
Forest go into the midweek clash having made their worst start to a season for more than a century.
Rock bottom of the Championship table, they have registered a solitary point in their opening six league games.
However, Hughton insists there is no issue with confidence among the squad.
“I don’t see a changing room which is down. I see a changing room which is annoyed and disappointed with the results we’ve got, but I don’t see a changing room which is down,” he said.
“I think what the players can see is those margins, and what we can do if we tighten up those margins.
“I certainly don’t see a changing room which is thinking, ‘where is that next point going to come from?’.”
