Pep Guardiola almost got a perfect international break, but then John Stones pulled up for England vs Germany and looks set for a spell on the sidelines.
Guardiola always prioritises the fitness of his Manchester City players when they go away on international duty, accepting that they will be played more than he'd like and just hoping they all come back injury free. It looks like the majority will return unscathed, apart from Stones, who felt his hamstring on Monday night and will need to be assessed.
Performance-wise, Guardiola will have also been happy to see some fringe players get some much-needed minutes for their countries, with others getting some useful rests. We've looked at how the City squad have performed and picked out some winners and losers from the last 10 days.
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Losers
Stones is an obvious place to start, as he has gone from a sure-fire starter for England at the World Cup to an injury doubt. If he has indeed injured his hamstring, as Gareth Southgate alluded to, he could be out for around six weeks - with England's first game in Qatar in eight weeks.
Similarly, Kalvin Phillips is another facing a race to be fit after undergoing surgery on his shoulder rather than linking up with the England squad. Southgate admitted the timeframes don't look to favour Phillips, and in his absence, Jude Bellingham looked to cement his place alongside Declan Rice in the England midfield. Even if Phillips is fit in November, he might not get in the England team regardless.
One player who would hope to get into Southgate's starting XI is Jack Grealish , who built on his good form at City with a bright cameo in England's defeat to Italy. However, a petulant booking for dissent in the San Siro to protest an obvious free kick saw him suspended for the Germany game. That deprived Grealish of a final chance to show Southgate where he can fit into the side, and in his place, players like Phil Foden, Mason Mount and Bukayo Saka all made important contributions.
Finally, Erling Haaland will be disappointed with how his break went. Norway were in command of their Nations League group but suffered two defeats to spurn the chance of promotion to the 'A' leagues. Haaland scored in the defeat to Slovenia but blanked against Serbia and he now misses a chance for some more high-profile games, and a future lifeline for tournament qualification.
Winners
With Stones injured, Kyle Walker replaced him against Germany and looks to be at least second-choice among England's right-backs to start at the World Cup - even if that is in a back three. Southgate admitted that Kieran Trippier is ahead of Trent Alexander-Arnold, with Walker preferred to both over England's two fixtures. He could have done better for Italy's winner, but a World Cup place feels inevitable - especially with uncertainty over Stones' fitness and Harry Maguire's form in the centre.
Another beneficiary of Stones' injury will be Manuel Akanji , who scored for Switzerland in their first game of the break to continue his fine form since joining City. Guardiola won't have been too disappointed to see Akanji then suspended on Tuesday, meaning he should be in good shape to face Manchester United on Sunday.
And if Stones is out for any period of time, it's good to see Nathan Ake back and starting for the Netherlands. Ake started on the left of a back three in their win over Poland, keeping a clean sheet, and kept his place in the win over Kevin De Bruyne's Belgium before being replaced at half-time. They were much-needed minutes and should be a confidence boost ahead of his return to City.
Finally, Julian Alvarez scored an impressive goal for Argentina as he showed City that he is ready to keep fighting and working hard for when he gets a chance. The friendly against Jamaica was a rare start for the striker, and he looked sharp as he got on the scoresheet to remind City of his quality.
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