Five hundred and 92 days ago at Ewood Park in Blackburn on July 4, 2020, the last time Stuart Dallas was absent from a Leeds United league XI.
Last season’s Player of the Year has been the cornerstone of Marcelo Bielsa’s side for as long as we can remember.
Despite the various knocks and niggles he has picked up, nothing has stopped him from making kick-off when it matters.
Bielsa and team-mates have revealed this season just how many injuries Dallas plays with, issues which would force other players into the stands.
The sight of him limping off on Saturday was a shock. Dallas appealed for treatment and while he waited for Leo Hjelde to get warmed up, he played on, evidently in a lot of pain.
It’s going to take something severe to keep Dallas out of Sunday’s grudge match with Manchester United.
Bielsa is expected to speak to the media on Friday with an update, but if the Northern Ireland international is ruled out, the head coach should thankfully have options at left-back.
Junior Firpo is understood to be available this weekend based on Bielsa’s comments last week, making the Spaniard the most straightforward swap.
However, there is another option which brings another key, senior face back into the fold.
The Red Devils landed on a 4-2-3-1 formation in their last game and if they go with a similar shape at Elland Road it should see a 4-1-4-1 from the hosts.
Adam Forshaw could return to the side as a defensive midfielder if Robin Koch shuffles back into central defence.
Pascal Struijk could feasibly be the one to make space for the Germany international by shuffling across to the position he was playing so well before injury struck last November.
The 22-year-old first played as a left-back in the senior side at home to Leicester City in what proved to be one of the best team displays of the season.
Struijk kept the tricky Ademola Lookman pocketed throughout that match and even impressed with his raids forward down the left flank.
He continued down the left in an even more advanced wing-back role at Tottenham Hotspur before slotting back into full-back against Crystal Palace on November 30.
There is no doubting Struijk is a better, and more natural, centre-back, but he has proven more than competent down the flank.
If it means bringing Koch into his preferred position and slotting Forshaw into a deeper role where he can control the game, then Bielsa may be tempted if Dallas does not recover.
