The new campaign should have been an opportunity for Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma to get back to the levels that briefly made him one of the Premier League's outstanding midfielders at the start of last season.
Instead, Bissouma will watch Spurs’ opening game at Leicester on Monday from home after being suspended by the club for one match for uploading a video of himself inhaling laughing gas to social media, following the friendly against Bayern Munich last Saturday.
He has trained as normal and will be available for selection again for Everton's visit on Saturday week but, judging by Ange Postecoglou's comments on Thursday, Bissouma has a big job to return to favour with the manager and his team-mates.
"There's some trust building that has to happen between Biss and me and Biss and the group," Postecoglou said.
Postecoglou added that Bissouma had been "very apologetic" and made clear that he will be given a chance at "redemption and rehabilitation", but the Malian's position as Spurs' go-to holding midfielder now feels in doubt.
The performances of new signings Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall in pre-season had cooled Tottenham's interest in signing a No6 this summer but if Postecoglou has doubts about Bissouma, there is still time to go into the market for a new midfielder. If social media is anything to go by, supporters' patience with Bissouma is wearing a little thin.
For the first seven games of last term, Bissouma was superb as Spurs flew out of the blocks under Postecoglou, transformed from the hesitant player who struggled under Antonio Conte in a series of dynamic and robust displays at the base of the Australian's new-look midfield.
But a sending off in the 1-0 win at Luton in October derailed his season and Bissouma never consistently returned to those early levels. He was not helped by an unfortunate bout of malaria ahead of the mid-season Africa Cup of Nations but, at times, proved his own worst enemy.
Monday will be his fourth suspension under Postecoglou, following another red card against Nottingham Forest and a separate ban for picking up five bookings.
Bissouma's life off the pitch has often been turbulent. In October 2021, he was arrested on sexual assault charges after police were called to a Brighton nightclub but was cleared of all allegations the following June, shortly after joining Spurs from the Seagulls.
In June this year, he was pepper sprayed by muggers outside a Cannes hotel in the early hours of the morning.
What these incidents have in common with Bissouma's idiotic decision to upload a video of himself taking nitrous oxide, which has been illegal since last year, to Snapchat is the 27-year-old's fondness for a night out.
While footballers are entitled to let off steam, Bissouma has attracted headlines when he goes out, which will be a concern to Postecoglou and the club.
His absence at the King Power Stadium potentially opens the door for Gray, the 18-year-old summer signing from Leeds, to make his competitive debut, though Rodrigo Bentancur, who should finally be nearing full sharpness after an injury-hit 18 months, would be a more experienced pick.
Bissouma has significant work to do to win back his place in Postecoglou's favour and team
In his first week as Spurs manager, at the start of last summer's pre-season, Postecoglou took Bissouma to one side and told him he "could be a leader" at Tottenham.
The next day, Bissouma was late for training (he later revealed his car had a flat tyre), prompting Postecoglou to remind him that senior players should be on time.
A year on, Bissouma feels a long way from being one of the squad's leaders and now has significant work to do to win back his place in Postecoglou's favour and team.
