Manchester City begin the defence of the Carabao Cup on Thursday night, and for Enzo Maresca the tie against Norwich City is less about the trophy and more about the names he can finally write on a teamsheet.
The Etihad Stadium hosts the Canaries in the third round, a fixture that arrives three days before Sunderland visit in the final Premier League outing prior to the extended international break. Rotation is inevitable. Opportunity, for some, is overdue.
Bouaddi and Allan wait in the wings
Ayyoub Bouaddi, a Moroccan international, has yet to start a game in English football. That is not a slight on the midfielder so much as a reflection of the queue ahead of him. Thursday offers a way in.
Allan is in a similar position, only more so. The Brazilian winger has not featured at all for City. Not a minute, not a cameo. If Maresca is looking for a low-risk occasion to blood him, a home cup tie against Championship opposition fits the bill.
Gerónimo Rulli is expected to make his first start for the club. The goalkeeper has waited his turn, and the Carabao Cup has long been the competition where understudies get their hands dirty.
Norwich arrive with a threat
Norwich sit 14th in the Championship, which ordinarily would suggest a straightforward evening. Philippe Clement, however, tends to set his side up in a 4-2-3-1, and the visitors carry a striker who has found some rhythm.
Mo Touré, an Australian forward, has scored four goals in six matches this season. He will look to get in behind the City defence at every opportunity. Pacey, direct, and unbothered by reputations. The kind of player who can make a rotated backline look silly if the focus isn't there.
Clement's Norwich won't be a pushover. That much is clear from the fact they sit mid-table rather than bottom, and from the presence of a striker in form. City's fringe players have a chance to impress, but they also have a job to do.
For Maresca, the balance is familiar. Win the tie, avoid injuries, and get minutes into legs that need them. The bigger test comes Sunday against Sunderland, but Thursday is where the squad depth gets its first real examination of the season.