Peterborough United's Jack Marriott conundrum. How does Grant McCann get him back into the starting line-up?

It happened again on Saturday when Posh ruined a superb 30-minute second-half display against struggling Burton Albion at the Weston Homes Stadium by failing to score more than once.

The visitors promptly sneaked down the other end to find an equaliser and force a 1-1 draw. Posh would have been fifth in League One with a win, but instead remained seventh ahead of Tuesday’s home game with Burton Albion (7.45pm kick-off).

Posh boss Grant McCann would point to Marriott’s own indifferent form (he’s missed numerous chances this season) and back-to-back three-goal displays in League One without him as reasons for his non-selection.

McCann currently seems wedded to a 4-3-3 formation which makes it difficult to select Marriott, certainly ahead of the club’s other central striker Jonson Clarke-Harris who is League One’s top scorer with nine goals. Neither player would be effective out wide.

But someone needs to share the goals burden with the captain who should have had a hat-trick himself on Saturday. Marriott has four goals from seven starts this season, but of the other squad members only Joe Ward has scored more than once in 12 League One games.

Could McCann find another system which gets Clarke-Harris and Marriott in the same starting line-up? He could, even without reverting to the 3-4-1-2 system he used for almost the entire run of four wins in five League One matches in August.

The introduction of left-sided defender Kelland Watts once completely free of injury can only help.

3-4-1-2 would rely on Kwame Poku or Harrison Burrows playing better than Ben Thompson managed earlier in the season, although he was far from a disaster. The wing-backs would have to supply the creativity if not.

Bergstrom.

Knight, N. Thompson/Edwards, Watts.

Ward, Fuchs, Taylor, Butler.

Poku/Burrows.

Clarke-Harris, Marriott.

4-3-1-2 would again deliver a number 10 issue as I’m not sure Posh have a natural for the position, but would two potentially lethal goalscorers together overcome that problem?

Bergstrom.

N. Thompson, Knight/Kent, Watts, Butler.

B. Thompson, Fuchs, Taylor.

Poku, Burrows

Clarke-Harris, Marriott.

What about a good old-fashioned 4-4-2? Posh could field two diligent wingers who could be trusted not to shirk their defensive duties.

Bergstrom.

N. Thompson, Knight/Kent, Watts, Butler.

Ward, Fuchs/B. Thompson, Taylor, Poku.

Clarke-Harris, Marriott.

And finally a midfield diamond, a system Grant McCann knows well, but do Posh have a player capable of dictating play from the base like the manager did in the past?

Bergstrom

Ward/N. Thompson, Knight/Kent, Watts, Butler

Fuchs/B. Thompson

Taylor, Burrows

Poku

Marriott, Clarke-Harris.

Biggest downside of the above formations is the absence of teenage forward Ricky-Jade Jones.