Sean Dyche does not like changing his defence unless he is forced into a switch, but James Tarkowski is doing everything he can to get into the Burnley starting backline.
Tarkowski was virtually faultless in two FA Cup games against Sunderland, in which the team picked up a pair of clean sheets, with young goalkeeper Nick Pope protected so well he hardly got his gloves dirty.
It is more than a year since Dyche made any unforced changes to his regular back four and goalkeeper, with a 3-0 Boxing Day hammering at Hull City the catalyst for a change that had a huge impact on the club's subsequent march to the Championship title.
Veteran centre-back Michael Duff was dropped, with Stephen Ward coming into the team at left-back, while Ben Mee moved across to partner Michael Keane. Burnley then went 23 games unbeaten in the league to finish the season and the same unit, with England goalkeeper and club captain Tom Heaton behind them, have been a firm fixture ever since.
But there is a growing sense that Tarkowski is simply too good to be on the bench, with Dyche having used him in a couple of different roles already this season, asking the former Brentford man to fill in at right-back, but more typically in midfield.
Tarkowski has acquitted himself well wherever he has been asked to play and his dominant performances against Sunderland have led to increased calls for him to get more regular game-time. Although the Black Cats were desperately poor in both matches, Tarkowski was a clear class above and he is seemingly ready for Premier League action.
The 24-year-old has often been pegged as long-term successor for Keane, who will have a year remaining on his contract at the end of the season and has been linked with the likes of Everton and Chelsea (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4077434/Everton-favourites-sign-Burnley-defender-Michael-Keane-summer.html).
However, Dyche paired Keane with Tarkowski for both cup matches, perhaps indicating they will play together at some point, unless it was just an opportunity for Tarkowski to learn from Keane.
It would be harsh on Mee to leave him out, but the former Manchester City youth product has been guilty of a couple of goal-costing mistakes in recent weeks. He was particularly poor in the 2-1 defeat against his old club at the Etihad on Jan. 2, despite scoring his first goal of the season.
An option for Dyche is to play the trio of Mee, Keane and Tarkowski together and adopt the back three system that is currently sweeping across the Premier League, following the success of leaders Chelsea under Antonio Conte.
Dyche has already used a couple of different formations this season and he has shown an unexpected willingness to switch from his preferred 4-4-2 when required, but another change to a 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 would be even more radical. It is also questionable whether Dyche has the potential wing-backs to make that formation work.
Sunday's match at Arsenal might be the ideal time to experiment, though, with the Clarets having a free hit. With just one point away from home in the league this season -- earned with a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in which Heaton's heroics somehow kept a miraculous clean sheet -- it is time to try something new on the road.
Tarkowski could operate as a shield in front of the regular defensive line, but with Joey Barton back in the squad and Dean Marney expected to be passed fit after missing Tuesday's 2-0 cup replay win against Sunderland, it is unlikely he would be preferred over either midfield specialist.
Perhaps the boldest choice available to Dyche -- who takes charge of his 200th Burnley match at the Emirates this weekend -- would be to drop Mee for Tarkowski. With Tarkowski partnering Keane, the Clarets would have a pair of progressive ball-playing defenders and the weakness of Mee's substandard distribution would be eradicated.
In attack, Andre Gray continued his good form by scoring the second goal against Sunderland in midweek, but he is still waiting for his first strike away from home this season. His raw pace will be crucial to the Clarets on Sunday as they will try to hit Arsenal on the break.
With Dyche's men sitting pretty in the top half of the Premier League, this weekend's match should enable them to play with freedom and without any pressure whatsoever on their shoulders.
It would still be a huge surprise if they were able to avoid defeat, but Burnley may be fuelled by injustice after Laurent Koscielny's late winner at Turf Moor in October, which should have been disallowed for handball.