Had Manchester United's Champions League campaign not been such a catastrophic failure, Sunday's trip to Aston Villa would have marked the beginning of a three-game week for Erik ten Hag.
Instead, a week that will start in the Midlands will end in Bedfordshire without a European fixture sandwiched in between. United fought tooth and nail to get back into Europe's premier club competition last season, meaning their exit from it prior to Christmas was disappointing to say the least.
But such is the way their Premier League campaign has unfolded thus far, a clean break between two vitally important league fixtures might not be such a bad thing.
United are on the up again after wins over Wolves and West Ham United. READ MORE: Sir Jim Ratcliffe gives presentation to United academy READ MORE: Why Garnacho, Mainoo and Hojlund aren't in confirmed United Premier League squad Those two victories, which were recorded less than 72 hours apart, have strengthened United's outside chances of finishing inside the top four this season.