You could hear the collective intake of breath at Turf Moor when Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne went down with an injury.
He limped past Pep Guardiola to head down the tunnel and receive treatment. Guardiola was already scribbling down some notes.
Mateo Kovacic was ready to make his debut following his switch from Chelsea. An opening night victory over Burnley came at the most serious cost for City following their treble win.
It was clear they would be without De Bruyne for more than days, but weeks soon turned into months and a hastily-arranged plan B had to be devised.
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