Huddersfield boss Jan Siewert could be set to spring more surprises for Saturday’s Premier League game at Brighton.
Siewert gambled on eight changes in the home game against Wolves in midweek and was rewarded with the club’s first win in three months.
Striker Karlan Grant and defender Demeaco Duhaney were handed their full debuts and centre-half Jon Gorenc Stankovic made his second league start of the season in a deep-lying midfield role.
Siewert said more players could appear in unexpected roles as the Terriers, 13 points from safety at the foot of the table, refuse to give up on their Premier League status.
“Maybe each manager has a different view on his players,” said Siewert, whose first win in his fifth game in charge on Tuesday night was secured by Steve Mounie’s stoppage-time goal.
“It’s not easy when you come into a club and have no pre-season so I have to get to know them and to learn about them personally, as individuals, but also about their performance.
“Maybe there are some things which we haven’t seen before, but I’d say this is normal.
“When I don’t pick a player there is a reason for it. I’m paid for making decisions.”
Duhaney’s debut was cut short at half-time against Wolves due to a knock and Siewert deployed central midfielder Juninho Bacuna in the right-back slot.
“I tried him in training in that position so I knew he could do it. He had my trust,” Siewert said.
“I told him at half-time he knows what it’s about now and he knew. He’s a very good character.
“I said I needed his aggression in winning balls and you saw he was the one who won it in a position to directly avoid the counter-attack.”
Stankovic has had to bide his time since arriving at Huddersfield from Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee in 2016.
He rarely featured under previous boss David Wagner, while a serious knee injury sustained playing for Slovenia Under-21s in March 2017 forced him to miss most of the 2017/18 season.
But the 6ft 2in centre-half was a deserved man of the match in midweek in his role in front of a back four, winning all his duels and never misplacing a pass.
“I congratulated him also for his performance,” Siewert added. “I knew that normally he would be able to do about 70 minutes, but we substituted him in the 82nd minute.
“That showed his heart. Today I’ve asked him if he can walk! He could, so here we go. He’s put himself in a good position to start, but if he will or not I won’t tell.”
Siewert confirmed he had no new injury problems for Saturday’s game at Brighton, who sit 13 points above Town, but have yet to win a league game this year.
