A huge game coming up on the back up of an embarrassing defeat away from home.
Burton were the Blues’ opponents prior to that Black Cats clash – with Cowley struggling to hide his disappointment with what had just unfolded at the Pirelli Stadium.
He, nevertheless, stuck with the same starting XI that let him down against the Brewers for the Sunderland game – and we all know what happened there!
Now, he must decide whether to use the same tactic for tonight’s game against the Tractor Boys, with the hurt experienced at Rotherham still raw.
Cowley has already indicated he may be tempted to switch back to a 4-2-3-1 formation in a bid to stem the flow of goals his side have been conceding in recent weeks – 12 in six games.
That would also match up with the formation Paul Cook is synonymous with – but evidence suggests it makes the Blues less threatening in forward areas.
As a result, Cowley certainly has a selection headache on his hands, one which hasn’t been helped by fringe players failing recent auditions to step into the first team.
But if he is persuaded to go with four at the back, how would the side look?
Well, here’s what we think he might for with...
He, nevertheless, stuck with the same starting XI that let him down against the Brewers for the Sunderland game – and we all know what happened there!