Manchester United are likely counting down until the influential midfield duo of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are able to return from their respective suspension and injury woes, with the pair having been sorely missed by the Red Devils of late.
As manager Erik ten Hag noted ahead of Wednesday's win over Brentford, his side are somewhat suffering without having those "two quality players" to call upon, with the duo's absence having contributed to the recent downturn in results, prior to the visit of the Bees.
There is much anticipation, in particular, regarding the impending return of Eriksen, with the Danish playmaker having been out of action since sustaining an ankle injury during the FA Cup win over Reading back in January.
The "hugely intelligent" gem – as hailed by ex-United man Luke Chadwick – had been a key figure for the club prior to that frustrating setback, having joined the Old Trafford outfit on a free transfer last summer.
Amid the excitement of seeing the 31-year-old back in action, however, it has become clear that the experienced ace will not have it easy earning his place back in the side, with the strong showing of winter arrival Marcel Sabitzer last time out having showcased that the Austria international will not relinquish his starting berth without a fight.
How did Sabitzer perform against Brentford?
The Bayern Munich loanee – who was signed in order to cover for the loss of Eriksen to injury – may well have left the former Tottenham Hotspur man running scared after putting in his "best performance" in a United shirt so far against the west Londoners, according to journalist Josh Bunting.
Just a few weeks on from registering his first goal for the club in the FA Cup quarter-final triumph over Fulham, the 29-year-old was able to also bag his first assist last night, having shown "real intelligence" to tee up Marcus Rashford with a clever flicked header, as per the Evening Standard's Dom Smith.
That notable contribution epitomised what was a stellar all-round performance from the one-time RB Leipzig man, with the £13m-rated ace having thrived after taking on a more front-foot and aggressive role, even being seen lining up alongside Marcus Rashford in a centre-forward berth on occasion.
The 69-cap maestro was 'very active' in the hosts' attacking play, as per GOAL's Richard Martin, having registered one key pass from his 38 touches, while he was also a real asset defensively, after winning eight of his ten aerial duels on the night.
That outing – which earned the relentless ace a 7.1 match rating, as per Sofascore – further illustrated that the midfielder "has the technical ability but also has that hard-hitting factor" in the centre of the park, according to Bunting, having laid bare his ability to impact proceedings at both ends of the pitch.
The 5 foot 10 gem is beginning to showcase just what an astute capture he was for Ten Hag and co, with Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg even revealing that there are set to be "decisive talks" regarding the possibility of Sabitzer staying at the club beyond the end of the season, with the player himself said to feel "comfortable" at the Theatre of Dreams.
That prospect may well spark a few nerves for the aforementioned Eriksen, with it seemingly set to be a straight fight between the pair to earn a role alongside Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro in midfield when all are available for selection.