It feels fitting that Jadon Sancho's debut season with Manchester United is now ending with him suffering some sort of discomfort.
But in the scheme of things, a bout of tonsillitis might be the least of his problems in the long run. Sancho is now expected to miss the remainder of United's campaign and could even be forced to have his tonsils removed.
It could well be a metaphor for the time Sancho has spent back in English football since joining United last summer from Borussia Dortmund in a £73million deal. Back then he was in the England squad which came within a whisker of winning Euro 2020. He was regarded as one brightest talents in Europe and became the poster boy of United's future.
But that future looks less sparkling now considering Sancho has lost his place in Gareth Southgate's England squad ahead of the World Cup, while his decision to pick United instead of several other suitors will feel doomed. The one consolation for Sancho is that he isn't the problem.
He remains one of the possible solutions to a whole raft of issues at Old Trafford which have almost reduced this once great club to rubble. Having taken a few months to adjust to life at United, Sancho thrived following the arrival of Ralf Rangnick in December and showed flashes of the talent United invested so much in.
Unlike most of his team-mates, Sancho developed a bond with Rangnick, who once tried to sign the teenager back in 2017 when he was boss of RB Leipzig. He had a run of six starts on the bounce, scored twice and provided two assists. His first goal for the club was a stunning effort into the top corner in a Champions League win over Villarreal.
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But it was one of the few highlights for Sancho, along with getting to learn from a legend like Cristiano Ronaldo. What this season has shown him in such brutal fashion is that Sancho has been the right man in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He thought he was joining a club competing for the biggest trophies. He even thought United could win the Champions League. But he thought wrong. He will be sad to see Rangnick move inside to a consultancy role, but will live in hope the arrival of Erik ten Hag will coincide with a new dawn at Old Trafford.
There will be sweeping changes to the squad this summer, and the revolving door at Old Trafford will be in full swing. But Sancho will remain because he is a big part of Ten Hag's vision - and the next couple of seasons could well prove to be the making of the 22-year-old.
