While the international break is still in full swing, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will already have one eye on the return to club action this weekend, with the Red Devils set to take on top-four rivals Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday.
The major selection headache at present for the Dutchman, ahead of the trip to St James' Park, will be the enforced absence of influential midfielder, Casemiro, with the Brazilian still having three games left to serve of his four-game ban after being dismissed in the most recent league meeting against Southampton.
The loss of the 31-year-old will come as a notable blow for United such has been the £70m man's impact in recent times, having been hailed as the "glue" in the side by club legend Rio Ferdinand due to his undoubted importance.
Although there is an argument that the former Ajax boss could look to fill that void by pushing usual centre-back Lisandro Martinez further forward, there are other members of the squad who could also be pushing for a role.
Academy graduate Scott McTominay will likely be hoping he has staked a claim for selection after netting twice off the bench in Scotland's 3-0 win over Cyprus on Saturday, with that clinical double proving vital in getting Steve Clarke's men off to a perfect start in their Euro 2024 qualification campaign.
That being said, however, the fact that the 26-year-old wasn't even selected from the start for his country should be something of a warning sign to Ten Hag, with the 6 foot 4 man - who has been linked with a move to Newcastle this summer - having also been hooked early in the second half during the FA Cup triumph over Fulham last time out.
Instead of looking to the Lancaster-born colossus as the answer to the Casemiro problem, United could be wise to hand a chance to January arrival Marcel Sabitzer in that deep-lying role, with the Austria international having also thrived for his country in recent days.
Should Sabitzer start for Man United?
The on-loan maestro scored twice and registered an assist for Ralf Rangnick's men in what was a thumping win over Azerbaijan on Friday evening, with the 29-year-old recording a monstrous 10/10 match rating, as per Sofascore, after also laying on three key passes and creating two big chances on the day.
Although that creative prowess may ensure that Sabitzer is better suited to a more advanced role, the Bayern Munich man could replicate the forward-thinking and progressive approach that Casemiro has taken on in his defensive-minded berth this season, with the latter man having created five big chances in the league this term.
Equally, while the former Real Madrid ace has been an effective screen in front of the back four this season as he ranks in the top 6% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for tackles made, Sabitzer also possesses the credentials to mirror that destructive style, as the 5 foot 10 gem actually ranks in the top 5% for that same metric.
A player who can seemingly make an impact at both ends of the pitch, the recent, temporary addition notably bagged his first goal for the club against the Cottagers just over a week ago, with that hopefully the first of many in a United shirt.
With recent reports claiming that the £13m-rated ace would be "happy" to stay in Manchester beyond the end of the season, the upcoming top-flight fixtures should allow him the chance to prove why he would warrant a permanent deal.
The exciting playmaker does appear to have been carrying something of a knee problem of late, although the aforementioned Rangnick does appear to be "optimistic" regarding the extent of the injury, ensuring that Sabitzer could still be in line to feature against the Magpies.
If the one-time RB Leipzig star - who has been branded a "monster" by Statman Dave this season - can showcase his ability to ease the loss of Casemiro, then such flexibility and versatility may well only enhance his chances of being snapped up for the long term by Ten Hag and co.