Youri Tielemans has undoubtedly been one of, if not the best, players for Aston Villa this year. As Unai Emery's side are chasing down a position in Champions League, they have had to do so without the Belgian midfielder.
While Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara have done well, stepping up in Tielemans' absence, Villa would have liked to have had him on the pitch if it weren't for his latest calf injury. The extent of this setback appears to be limited.
Tielemans was back in training, and if this were happening closer to the winter months, then he'd likely be back within a third or fourth match after taking a couple of games off.
With Unai Emery expressing optimism about Tielemans' return to the Matchday squad against Manchester United, it would be something of a surprise to see the Belgium international in the starting XI. His coming off the bench if things are close around the 75th-minute mark looks like it is taking a positive step forward.
Villa need a win on Sunday to stave off the rest of the competition going for CL. Introducing Tielemans to give a late boost to the squad in the final portions of the match could end up proving the difference in a type of 'in-case-of-emergency' option for Emery to look to.
Ideally, it does not get to that point, however. A lot can happen within 90 minutes. It is better for AVFC to have the Belgian as an option if needed.
There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the midfielder's role and usage for Villa. Belgium manager Rudi Garcia mentioned his opinion that Tielemans is playing so much.
While it is fair enough for someone who is directly involved in the game to ask a reasonable question and voice his concerns, the international career cannot take precedence in the consideration of a player.
Receiving the call-up and representing the national team is a big goal for everyone. It is the club's considerations that have to take priority.
Continued Aston Villa focus for player
It is unreasonable to ask players to not participate in the ever-growing number of international competitions or friendlies. By the same token, Garcia expressing his desire to see Tielemans playing less for Villa is equally unrealistic.
Villa have been in contention throughout the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup. His playing so many minutes and being an instrumental part in Emery's plans reflects how much of a talent and hard worker he is to consistently be available to play the full match in each of the competitions.
Even the currently discussed injury is all minor in its severity. Wanting to see Tielemans play less for Villa in order to be more ready than what he already is for Belgium is an unreasonable ask.