Newcastle Jets coach Mark Milligan appears spoilt for choice leading into the final run home of the A-League Men’s (ALM) competition.

But, with just a quartet of matches remaining before the play-offs, and his high-flying side sitting atop the ladder, does he go for the jugular or play it reasonably safe over the next month?

Currently, the Hunter outfit enjoys a four-point buffer on the table, ahead of Auckland FC, with Sydney FC languishing in third.

And, while the Aussie football great wants to maintain that advantage, representative duties, players returning from injury and club form are likely causing him a few selection headaches.

It’s not a bad position to be in, especially with the likes of Daniel Wilmering, Eli Adams, Clayton Taylor and Zach Clough in the frame again following time on the sidelines, only weeks after Kosta Grozos and Thomas Aquilina resumed their on-field duties.

Lachlan Bayliss could be back, too, after a brief stint with the New Zealand international team, along with Young Socceroos Will Dobson and Max Cooper.

“We’ll see how Lachie is, there wasn’t much travel for him,” Milligan said.

“It was an incredible opportunity for him and fantastic he got some game time – good minutes in the first and about 25 in the second.

“He looked very comfortable and that’s a credit to the work he’s done this year.

“He’s given himself every chance, from what I’ve witnessed, to be a part of the All Whites’ World Cup squad.

“It’s a similar situation for Dobbo (Dobson) and Coops (Cooper), we’ll see how they’ve pulled up.

“However, to gain that international experience, it’s only going to benefit them in the long run.

“Meanwhile, Zach’s very close.

“He’s been excellent and had a couple of full training weeks under his belt now.

“Clayton’s nearing a return, too.

“So, we’re not far off.

“It’s crucial we have as many players available as possible because it drives those standards at training and maintains our competitive nature every day.

“As I’ve stated previously, these past four weeks have been dictated by what they do during the week.

“But, there could be an opportunity for a few boys to come into the team and get a start.

“It’s a difficult decision at the moment, especially when you’re balancing certain things to ensure we’re primed at the business end of the season.

“You want to keep everyone match-fit.

“However, we need to reward the guys who have been working hard over the past few weeks, too.

“I have no doubt that if certain players aren’t available to start or sit on the bench, the ones who come in are going to do a fantastic job.

“The biggest difference for us in that Sydney game was the boys coming off the bench.

“Every single one of them made a difference.”

Milligan hinted Wilmering and Adams could take their spots in the line-up for the clash with Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Thursday 2 April.

“They’re available,” he said.

“But, we’ll have to look at them, as they’ve missed a couple of weeks.

“We just need to ensure we’re making the right call for them, and us, moving forward.”

The Bulls, occupying sixth place, should provide another stern test for the Jets.

And, Milligan is treating them with the respect they deserve.

“Macarthur had a fantastic result against Auckland and produced a good performance,” he said.

“So, we know they’re a very experienced team.

“They are still in the hunt for finals as well, so it’s going to be a fantastic opportunity for us to play a very good side who’s found a little bit of form.

“At the same time, it’s important we focus on ourselves and the things that we’ve been working on.

“Even though we’re getting close to the end of the season, I think – after the Sydney match, there’s still areas where we can get better, there’s still areas we can be more dominant.

“So, it is a great chance for us to go out and now execute [our style] again.”

Newcastle then tackles Adelaide United (11 April – McDonald Jones Stadium), Melbourne Victory (17 April – AAMI Park) and the Central Coast Mariners (25 April – McDonald Jones Stadium).

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