Nottingham Forest European Cup winner Colin Barrett believes Portuguese pair Joao Carvalho and Tiago Silva could be "fighting for one shirt" as the season goes on at the City Ground.
Carvalho and Silva both started Saturday's 1-0 win over Brentford, a result that lifted Forest to within goal difference of the Championship summit heading into the international break.
Silva has featured in all 11 of Forest's League games so far, with seven of those appearances coming as starts.
Carvalho - who joined for £13.2m from Benfica in the summer of 2018 - has meanwhile earned four starts and two further substitute appearances in the League so far this season, with his one assist coming in the 1-1 draw at home to Preston North End in August.
Barrett, a Forest defender during the late 1970s and early 1980s, believes the pair bring different qualities to Sabri Lamouchi's side.
And given the competition in the Reds' midfield ranks, he has told Seat Pitch that it may be a case of one or the other making that starting XI as 2019-20 progresses.
"It’s an interesting one because they are both quite different," said Barrett.
"Tiago has the box-to-box aspect, the graft and the eye for a pass. Joao has the flair and the ability to take risks – he’s the luxury that you simply have to cater for.
"Ultimately though as the season progresses they will fight for one shirt. I think Joao probably just has the edge at the moment as he is the more proven of the two.
“For Lamouchi he really is between the devil and the deep blue sea as he’d love to pick them both regular but that might not always be the best course of action.”
