Lucien Favre has made it clear Mario Gotze faces a fight for first-team football at Borussia Dortmund this season.
The Germany international was taken off after 64 minutes of the 2-1 DFB-Pokal win at Greuther Furth last month and then failed to get off the bench in his side's opening two Bundesliga games of the season.
Favre used a 4-3-3 system in those matches, a 0-0 draw at Hannover and a 4-1 win over RB Leipzig, with Mahmoud Dahoud, Axel Witsel and Thomas Delaney preferred in midfield.
And the Dortmund head coach admits it is difficult to fit Gotze into his side given his other options for the central roles.