With the final international break of the season now over, attention will turn to the business end of the campaign. For Manchester United, there is still so much left to play for - and potentially a lot of games to come.
Erik ten Hag's side were in good form prior to the March internationals, with the Reds - who look well placed to achieve a top-four finish - having secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals. United will be keen to add to their Carabao Cup triumph this term, meaning every player will need to contribute.
Should the Reds reach the final of the Europa League and FA Cup, they will play seven more matches in cup competitions. Having already played 26 times in the Premier League, United have 12 remaining games in the top-flight. At the end of the campaign, Ten Hag's side could have potentially played in every available match.
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Therefore, it would be fair to say that the international break came at a less-than-ideal time for the club. United - apart from the clash with Liverpool - were firing on all cylinders and would have been keen to continue their momentum. However, that was not possible, so the next best thing was for the players to get minutes in the tank, while also getting a rest where possible.
United actually had a number of first-team players who did not take part in any games during the break. David de Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Fred and Jadon Sancho were not selected to represent their respective countries, while Raphael Varane recently called time on his career with France's national side.
Meanwhile, top goalscorer Marcus Rashford withdrew from the England squad after picking up a knock, with Anthony Martial expected to be in contention to feature against Newcastle on Sunday after continuing his comeback from injury.
Despite this, the Reds still had a host of players away on international duty, and a lot of them featured during the break. However, very few of them played more than one game - with Bruno Fernandes being the only regular first-team star to have featured on two occasions for his country.
World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez started both games on the bench, coming on in the second match as Argentina defeated Panama 2-0. His defensive partners Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw also only played once, while Casemiro - who is suspended for the next three matches - featured in Brazil's only game of the break.
Further up the pitch, Antony was a second-half substitute for Brazil and Wout Weghorst played twice for the Netherlands - although he will be frustrated to have not got on the scoresheet.
Clearly, then, it could have been a lot worse for Ten Hag. Even with Marcel Sabitzer and Victor Lindelof having picked up injuries, the Dutchman will be relieved that none of his 'regulars' came back with a knock, or played 180 minutes for that matter. The absence of Sabitzer could come as a blow - especially with Casemiro sidelined - but the Reds will be hopeful that the midfielder will not be out of action for too long.
If Ten Hag had to lose his players for two weeks, the ideal scenario was that they all returned without an injury, having managed to get some rest, while still getting minutes in their legs. Although the Dutchman will have been against Fernandes starting both matches, the Portuguese ace, who has played 44 times for United this term, has already demonstrated that he is capable of featuring frequently.
Moreover, while Rashford withdrew from the Three Lions squad with an injury, he is expected to play against the Magpies at the weekend. Much like Fernandes, the 25-year-old has played a ridiculous amount of games already this season, so the two-week break came at the perfect time for the academy graduate.
United play nine times in April. Nine matches in four weeks.
Should they progress in the Europa League, the Reds could also play seven times in May, and would be in action just the once in June if they manage to make it to the FA Cup final.
Having taken charge of 46 competitive matches since being appointed managed in the summer, Ten Hag - who has won 33 of those games - has already learnt a lot about his players. They have shown that they are capable of winning silverware, but the challenge will be to do that consistently.
The club could potentially end the season with three trophies, and having won just one since 2017, that would certainly be some achievement. While the international break did not come at the ideal time, it did allow everyone involved with United to take stock and reflect on what has been a good campaign so far.
Now, though, the focus is ending the season on a positive note. With most of his players rested and ready to go, Ten Hag will be confident of doing exactly that.
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