SCOTT Parker has a slight dilemma ahead of kick-off tonight – trying to pick who starts at right-back in the absence of Adam Smith.

Smith will miss the next three games after being sent-off whilst on the bench at Deepdale, meaning one of Ethan Laird and Jack Stacey will be drafted into the starting XI.

Whilst Smith was out injured in the past few months, there was little choice for Parker to pick his replacement, with Stacey the only other right-back in the first-team picture.

The addition of Laird in January now means the former Fulham boss has options.

For the first few weeks of Laird’s Cherries career, the Manchester United loanee found himself also injured, allowing Parker to make a fairly straight-forward decision of reinstating Stacey.

More recently, Stacey was completely omitted from the matchday squad on Saturday, whilst Laird made his second substitute appearance.

In recent weeks, Smith has been replaced by Laird during games, suggesting that the Basingstoke-born wing-back is next in-line for a starting spot.

However, the 20-year-old is still yet to be handed a first-start in a Cherries shirt.

Both Stacey and Laird like to get forward, and during Laird’s loan spell at Swansea during the first-half of the season, he was used higher up the pitch as a winger in his 20 appearances for the Swans.

In a game where Cherries are expected to dominate possession against Peterborough, perhaps Parker will look to deploy more attack-minded players.

However, Stacey made 21 appearances in a row between September and February, indicating that Parker may return to the more senior defender.

With all that in mind, who do you think should get the nod for the games against Peterborough, Derby and Reading?

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