Who would have thought, on Thursday when Manchester City return to action, that Erling Haaland wouldn't be the most-talked about City striker after the World Cup.
Even when he was absent before the World Cup, Haaland's availability was the only talking point before each game, and City were judged on how they performed without him, rather than who did well in his place.
As it happened, Julian Alvarez made some solid progress in those weeks before the domestic calendar took a break, registering three goals and two assists in his last three starts, within a wider run of five starts in succession. His run including the World Cup reads seven goals and three assists in his last eight starts. Oh, and a World Cup winner's medal.
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Alvarez has just touched down with the rest of the Argentina squad in Buenos Aires to celebrate their title, with a bank holiday given to the nation to join them. He won't be making it back for the Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool this week, and nor should he be expected to.
Whenever he does return, though, he will bring back a completely different dynamic to the City squad. Not that his quiet, humble personality is likely to change, but rather that his World Cup contribution simply cannot be ignored.
Alvarez started the World Cup with a similar role to his place at City - second choice at best and firmly in the shadow of an undroppable superstar. But after shock defeat to Saudi Arabia, and a nervy win over Mexico where Lionel Messi was the difference between one point and three, Alvarez was called into the starting line up. Without him, Argentina wouldn't have won the World Cup.
Not only did the City striker chip in with goals, he scored four important - and well-taken - strikes. He didn't just play back-up to Messi, he allowed Messi to play further forward and impact the knockout stages from his best position. Messi won the Golden Ball, and owes plenty to Alvarez for his unselfish running to free up space and occupy defenders.
Alvarez went from back-up, to right-hand-man, in the space of five starts, and if City hadn't snapped him up for just £14m last January, he would be worth far, far more than that after his seven outings in Qatar. Now, City now have an unexpected opportunity to use Alvarez as a complement to Haaland, rather than an alternative.
But while Alvarez is clearly capable of that role, it will also mean some adjustment for Haaland.
The Norwegian has been the star man at every club he has been at, including City, with the current Blues squad set up over the first months of the season to provide Haaland with chance after chance. Alvarez has been part of that, but not a main part. Up to now, he's been a willing back-up, although his pivotal role in winning the World Cup may change his outlook, and also Pep Guardiola's.
Can Haaland share his scoring responsibilities, and adapt his game to work with a strike partner, so that City can get the best out of their world-class striker and their World Cup-winner in the same starting XI? Or will Alvarez's ascension simply lead to more rotation in the testing months ahead with an intense fixture list and five points to make up in the Premier League?
Of all the problems to inherit from the World Cup, integrating the number nine of the champions is hardly a bad one to have. However, getting it right is as much Haaland's responsibility as it is Alvarez's or Guardiola's - and that's a challenge he's never had to face before.
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