Dawid Malan looks set to be promoted to opener’s duties for tomorrow’s County Championship clash with Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Skipper Chris Rogers gave a broad hint the left-hander would be the man to fill the vacancy at the top of the order left by Sam Robson’s England call-up.

Nick Gubbins is another option open to the tenants of Lord’s, particularly after his century in the win against Oxford University at The Parks earlier this week.

However, while the youngster is on Rogers’ radar, with Eoin Morgan available to step into the XI and the rest of Middlesex’s middle order having shown recent form, Malan is the most likely choice to face the new ball in any reshuffle.

Bug hitter: Malan in action for the Middlesex Panther in the T20

"I don’t think Mala (Malan) would be a bad shout to open,” said Rogers. “He has got runs twice now where we have lost a wicket early, so he has practically been an opener and he will bat where I tell him to bat.

“We have also got a couple of young guys in the running and Nick Gubbins is one who has been spoken about quite well. He has been away at University, but is maybe another who could come into the frame, so we have a couple of options and that is positive.”

The Trent Bridge clash sees Middlesex enter the second half of the County Championship season lying third, nine points adrift of leaders Somerset. It is a scenario eerily similar to the same stage last season, where Middlesex fell away late on in the campaign to eventually finish fifth.

However, with more batsmen in the runs than 12 months ago and Toby Roland-Jones firing again with the ball, Rogers’ sense is, even in the absence of Robson, his troops have a better chance of sustaining a challenge this time around.

Aussie: Chris Rogers celebrates after smashing a century for his country

He added: “I think we are a better unit than last year. “The good thing about this year is that just about everyone has put up their hand at some stage and contributed where last year it was more a handful of blokes who were contributing quite regularly.

“The fact guys like Toby Roland-Jones, Neil Dexter or Joe Denly and Dawid Malan as well are stepping up and putting excellent performances on the board that bodes well more than anything because I think you will continue to get the consistent performances out of the other guys, so it is that next tier we need bigger and better things from and we are seeing that so far this year.

“I think there is greater belief. Someone like Mala going out and getting a 90 and John Simpson scoring 100 has probably inspired a few of the other guys to realise they can do it as well.”