After a gruelling, intense and hectic few months following the World Cup in Qatar, the final international break of the season is here - and for Manchester United, the break in the campaign comes at the right time for some players, while others would rather continue through to the end of May.
Erik ten Hag's side have played every single match available so far this season. Since the World Cup alone, the Reds have played 25 times, winning 19 times and losing just twice. The schedule is not going to get any easier. Should United progress to the final of the Europa League and FA Cup, they will have to play 19 more times this term.
For certain first-team stars - Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, for example - the brutal fixture schedule doesn't seem to impact their performances or output. If anything, they seem to thrive during it. Other players, meanwhile, react differently to the extreme nature of English football.
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Jadon Sancho has endured a difficult campaign on a personal level, but he has certainly looked much improved since returning from his spell away from the first team. The 22-year-old has made 25 appearances in all competitions this term, registering five goals and one assist.
While he has only been on the scoresheet on two occasions since being reintegrated into Ten Hag's side, the English winger has looked more threatening on the ball and in front of goal. Although Sancho didn't grab a goal or an assist in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Fulham on Sunday, it was a moment of magic from the attacker that sparked the turnaround.
United's were trailing 1-0 when Sancho danced beyond Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno, faked a shot to beat a defender and fired a strike towards goal. His effort was on target, but it was blocked by Willian on the goal line. However, following a VAR review, the Brazilian winger was sent off for stopping the shot with his hand.
Just moments later, Aleksandar Mitrovic and manager Marco Silva were also dismissed, which meant Sancho's brilliance was somewhat forgotten in the immediate aftermath. It was one of his better performances in recent weeks, but there were still aspects of his game that he will be keen to work on.
Sancho, admittedly, is not the first name on the teamsheet, but given the fee the club paid for him, he should really be starting consistently for the Reds. He is not going to be picked ahead of the in-form Rashford, so his chances of starting depend on whether he can move ahead of Antony in the pecking order.
Given his inconsistent showings this term, the 22-year-old was not included in Gareth Southgate's England squad for the upcoming international break. While the attacker will be desperate to represent his country for the first time since 2021, the break in the campaign provides him with the perfect chance to force himself into his club manager's thinking.
He will remain at Carrington and train with the others players not away on international duty. This will allow Sancho the chance to work closely with Ten Hag for the first time since he returned to the United squad following his period away from the group.
Rashford pulled out of the Three Lions squad after picking up a knock at the weekend, but with Facundo Pellistri and Antony both representing their countries this week, and Alejando Garnacho sidelined with an injury, Sancho should have the chance to train on certain specifics on an individual basis.
It is vital that he makes the most of his teammates' absences, especially given that Pellistri and Antony have impressed in a red shirt in recent weeks. For Sancho, he desperately needs to string together a run of good performances, or at least go out and dominate a game in the way Rashford has done on some many occasions this term.
Ten Hag has occasionally utilised Wout Weghorst in a deeper role, with Fernandes playing wide right, and it shows that Sancho still has a lot of work to do in order to convince his manager that he is capable of starting regularly for United. However, with so much action still to come between now and the end of the season, the England international might need to do that sooner rather than later.
Sancho has shown glimpses of the player that the Reds were so desperate to bring to the club, but the problem has simply been his consistency. Now, though, the winger has the opportunity to spend significant time with Ten Hag on the training pitch, and if he can find a way to truly start firing, it will be a massive boost for United at the business end of the campaign.
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