When Manchester United released their teamsheet an hour before the start of Sunday's Premier League stalemate with Newcastle United there was an unfamiliar look to it.
For the first time since arriving at the club during the summer transfer window, Christian Eriksen's name was nowhere to be seen on said sheet for a league fixture. The absence of his name on the teamsheet and on the club's Twitter account immediately caused a degree of panic among the fans and marked the beginning of the inevitable question being asked: where is he?
Erik ten Hag quickly provided the answer the fans were looking for during his pre-match interview with United's in-house media, confirming that he had been ruled out because of illness. It was obvious before that, however, that the Dane had been left out because he was unavailable, as opposed to being dropped based on his recent performances.
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He has been one of United's best players so far this season, quickly making himself feel at home at Old Trafford. He has become a firm fans' favourite, such is the way he has played in his first 12 appearances for the club. His absence, coupled with Scott McTominay's suspension and Donny van de Beek's ongoing injury problem, meant that Fred kept his place in midfield, joining forces with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes.
The Brazilian started in midweek against Omonia Nicosia, playing alongside the same duo, with Eriksen awarded a rest in the midst of a marathon of fixtures. United missed the Dane's creativity and control until he stepped off the bench with 20 minutes to go as he came on to replace Fred.
After his introduction against the Cypriot minnows, United had a greater degree of control and the level of creativity started to move through the gears. Eriksen was quicker and smarter in possession, highlighting why Ten Hag was so keen to add him to his squad in the summer.
It was a similar tale against Newcastle, except this time United could not call on the former Tottenham Hotspur man's services with 20 minutes left on the clock, as they went in search of another late winner. United did not get into enough advanced areas and there were gaps in midfield where you just knew Eriksen would have picked up possession and attempted to make something happen with his outstanding football brain.
Fred, who, often unfairly, has been a scapegoat for United's failings in recent years, did little to help his cause when he spurned a golden opportunity to win it for Ten Hag's side with two minutes of normal time left on the clock. Marcus Rashford, who had earlier stepped off the bench to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, ran past Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope, put the ball on a plate for the Brazilian and he somehow fired wide. It was a moment that summed up his afternoon.
But it wasn't that miss that highlighted United's need for Eriksen, it was the Brazilian's overall performance, especially in the first half, and how it impacted United's loss of composure in the centre of the park. They have added a much-needed defensive element to their midfield in the form of Casemiro, meaning they need someone of Eriksen's ilk to complement the former Real Madrid man's defensive robustness.
Without Eriksen, especially when Fernandes is not firing on all cylinders, United are light on midfield creativity and the ability to dictate proceedings. Nobody could have possibly predicted how important the former Brentford man would become in Ten Hag's thinking, but Sunday's draw with Newcastle proved it once and for all.
He is United's orchestrator and their last two matches have proven that they struggle to dictate proceedings without him. He makes the midfield tick and his presence against the Magpies was sorely missed.
With back-to-back games against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea to come this week, United will be hoping Eriksen recovers from his current bout of illness quickly and will be ready and raring to go. They are at a loss without him, so much so that he might have become their most important player in ensuring the Reds put Ten Hag's plans into action.
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