Five conclusions on Huddersfield Town's pre-season trip to Austria

The shape of Lee Grant's squad as it stands, what's left on the transfer wishlist, and more thoughts from the Terriers' pre-season tour.

1. Lee Grant has big selection decisions to make in all areas…with a couple of exceptions

We can’t imagine Owen Goodman has been brought in for the season — and allocated the number 1 shirt — just to sit on the bench. That said, Lee Nicholls put in a commanding performance against Young Boys and will be keen to challenge the Crystal Palace loanee for a place.

Left-back seems to be a straight decision between Sean Roughan’s proven League One ability and potential, and Murray Wallace’s size and experience.

For the more attacking right-back role, Lasse Sorensen and Lynden Gooch look set for a running battle that could get the best out of both of them. Sorensen didn’t have another full-back cut from the same cloth as competition last season. Both players have something to prove, and that competition could be key. Neo Eccleston could be waiting in the wings (no pun intended) as back-up for both defensive flanks, too, while Jay Sway did himself no harm with an impressive display against Greuther Furth.

Centre-back has gone from Town’s biggest problem position to one of their most well-stocked. Jack Whatmough has excelled at this level before and will be keen to get the regular football he never quite saw at Preston. Josh Feeney has shown off the classy touch and composure that impressed Shrewsbury fans even in a miserable campaign last season. The as-yet unseen Joe Low recently won plenty of plaudits at Wycombe, and Radinio Balker has returned from his latest ankle injury. Roughan and Wallace are also able to fill in at centre-half if required.

In central midfield, Grant can pick from the energy and defensive work rate of David Kasumu, the technical ability of Herbie Kane, or some combination of the two (in differing formulations) in Ryan Ledson and Antony Evans — though there is now an injury doubt around Evans after he was forced off against Young Boys and missed Saturday’s win over Greuther Furth.

There are admittedly slight question marks on all of them, whether that’s a lack of minutes or inconsistent form or their injury record. This may explain why Town have been linked with one more midfielder and have been ambitious with their targets — perhaps too ambitious, as it turns out, with Leyton Orient’s Ethan Galbraith taking up a Championship move with Swansea and George Thomasen now reportedly a target for newly-promoted Wrexham. Our advice? Move the club to Wales. Or get promoted. Either is fine.

As Grant alluded to in this week’s fan Q&A, if Town do get someone from their central midfield shortlist, then there is even a chance that they may wish to ship someone out the other way.

Meanwhile, both Mickel Miller and Ruben Roosken look set to be deployed as out-and-out left wingers next season, with Grant restoring Miller to the role he played earlier in his career and taking a cue from Jon Worthington by pushing Roosken further up the pitch.

For our money, it makes sense: both players have the trickery and pace to punish defenders at League One level, and it would be a waste of their talents to keep them in the much more defensive left-back role Grant has been working towards.

The upshot is that at least on paper, Town’s squad looks more convincing than it did going into last season, when we were reasonably sure what the first XI would be on the opening day. We’re not sure we can say the same this year. Put it this way: Goodman is the only player from those positions we feel confident will be on the teamsheet to face Leyton Orient in a couple of weeks.

2. … but there is still work to be done in the transfer market

We have to stop the list there, though, because when we get to the forward line (the three most advanced players in what we’ve come to refer to as a 3-4-2-1 in possession), options currently look limited.

That’s not to say Town’s options aren’t good; Joe Taylor, Dion Charles, Ben Wiles and Marcus Harness all have excellent track records at this level, albeit almost exclusively at their previous clubs, which is a separate talking point altogether.