It only takes one chance to transform a football career, and Willy Kambwala is closer than ever to getting his at Manchester United.
United have their options depleted amid an ongoing injury woes, with key defensive duo Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane both sidelined for the forseeable future.
But for every setback there is also a new opportunity for someone else to step-up. It could well be an academy ace who gets an unlikely chance between now and the end of the season.
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Kambwala, 18, was one of many top talents brought to the club three years ago as part of a ploy to raid other academies of some of the most promising players in Europe.
The French centre-back joined in the same season as Marc Jurado (from Barcelona), Alvaro Fernandez (Real Madrid), Alejandro Garnacho (Atletico Madrid), Isak Hansen-Aaroen (Tromso) and Radek Vitek (Olomouc). United also looked to poach promising homegrown talent in the form of Charlie McNeill (Man City) and Joe Hugill and Logan Pye (both Sunderland).
It is understood United agreed a package worth in the region of £3.5million, for the then 16-year-old, a glowing endorsement of how good they believed he could become.
Kambwala had been a standout defensive prospect throughout his development in France, having captained the U17s at that time, and have typically played up one or two age groups from a young age.
Even on his United debut, the talent was clear to see. Kambwala, who was the youngest player on the pitch, looked effortless both in and out of possession, not only excelling as a robust central defender, but also showcasing the agility and ball-playing skills to be an ideal modern centre-back.
He has just about every raw attribute you would want from a central defender, the only thing he has lacked is the little bit of luck required to fulfil such enormous potential.
Just two weeks into life at United, the teenage defender, already playing for the U21s, suffered a severe ankle injury in a friendly match against Salford City. It left him having to wear a protective boot and ruled him out of action for almost a year.
Kambwala has struggled for consistency ever since that first serious setback, and has been blighted by a string of smaller injuries that have hampered his progress.
Last season was a step in the right direction, with the French defender featuring more regularly for the U18s as he continued to return to match sharpness and show glimpses of the enormous talent he has.
This campaign has been another, with Kambwala currently experiencing his longest period of availability since joining the club. The French defender has been a key figure in his most recent appearances, with four U21 outings to his name, as well as another two for the club at U18 level.
His reward has been a recent promotion to first-team training, with Ten Hag well aware of his enormous talents amid the ongoing defensive injury crisis.
The sight of Kambwala in training pictures has generated excitement on social media about the prospect of him potentially getting a chance in the near-future, but it still seems unlikely.
If not for the recent injury crisis Kambwala would most likely still be training with his fellow youth-teamers, though it does only take one sliding doors moment for him to get his chance and potentially launch a successful senior career.
That could happen in the closing weeks of the season if United's defensive options are depleted even further, particualrly if they wrap up a top-four finish early and have more licence to take selection gambles.
Right now, the focus is on becoming an established player at U21s level first and seeing how he copes in EFL Trophy matches against senior sides next season.
Kambwala can take encouragement from the fact he is now back to full fitness and on the radar of Ten Hag, something that could bode well for him ahead of pre-season.
While there is still a long way to go before he can ever dream of making it at United, the 18-year-old can certainly take positives that he is on the right track to at least get a chance.
United will go in search of a new centre-back this summer; Kambwala could yet convince them they don't need to.
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