There were a few murmurings on social media ahead of Manchester United's win over Leicester at the weekend that Anthony Elanga was going to start.
These turned out to be false, as accounts looking to grow their following by leaking early team news paid the price for jumping the gun, and the Swede was named on the bench.
Sometimes you need to take a step back, and although Erik ten Hag is prone to a wildcard team selection, it was always going to be highly unlikely that Elanga would start a game that meant so much.
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The 20-year-old is at a crossroads in his United career. He made the well-deserved jump to the first-team permanently last season, but has since stagnated, and is no longer the new kid on the block.
He has made 22 appearances so far this season but has only played 645 minutes of football, fewer than the injury-prone Anthony Martial and even fewer than January arrival Wout Weghorst.
United's production line of academy talent is so successful that it is only a matter of time before another comes along, that has proven to be the case in the shape of Alejandro Garnacho, who has already overtaken him in the pecking order.
Instead, it was the 18-year-old who started at the weekend, a huge endorsement of Ten Hag's growing trust in the teenager as well as another approval of his obvious ability.
Garnacho is very much viewed as the future, while Elanga is already being viewed as yesterday's man. He has not been helped by the fact that his breakthrough coincided with the club's worst-ever Premier League season.
Thursday marks one year to the day that Elanga had his crowning moment at the club, netting the equalising goal against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, but rather than spur him on to greater things, it remains the last competitive goal he scored for the club.
It is fair to say things haven't developed quite how Elanga would have liked, but there is a reason why he is still part of the first-team picture and getting minutes under Ten Hag, and that is because he is a hard-working professional dedicated to the cause.
The Sweden international received a host of loan offers last summer and even in January, but the decision was made to keep him at the club until the end of the season.
It is understood that Ten Hag blocked a proposed switch to Everton last month over concerns about what the current climate at Goodison Park might do to Elanga's development and progress. That proved to be true when Frank Lampard was sacked last month, weeks after he had tried to make the deal happen.
It still feels like a loan move would be the best next step for Elanga, and it could well make sense for all parties as he looks to build upon solid foundations and take his game to the next level.
Another part of the problem for Elanga is that he has often looked his best when played on the left, but United have been overstocked on that wing, so he has had to adapt his game to play elsewhere.
This is particularly poignant heading into a summer in which United will not only look to add another forward to their squad, but will also welcome back Amad from his loan spell at Sunderland.
Given that he has taken his game to a whole new level this season playing regular football in the Championship, the Ivorian youngster could well be the ideal blueprint for Elanga as well.
Ten Hag wants two top options in every position, which means Amad, Elanga, and Facundo Peliistri will compete for a rotational role next season, behind the likes of Antony, Garnacho, and Jadon Sancho.
It means Elanga might only have three months left to influence his United future, and right now it looks like a temporary exit next season would be the most likely outcome.
A fresh start would allow him to regain confidence and play football in his preferred position before making a final decision on his future at United.
They already have the perfect blueprint for him.
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