For the first time this season, at the 44th time of asking, James McAtee did not make the Manchester City squad. The 21-year-old had previously been the only outfield player to make every single matchday, avoiding injury throughout the campaign and usually given a more prominent role when some of the more established stars have been given some time off.
At Nottingham Forest on Saturday though, there was no McAtee. He had trained all week ahead of the match but hadn't been deemed one of the best 20 players to make Pep Guardiola's selection.
He wasn't missed by many, either. There was no outcry on social media at his absence and Guardiola had Omar Marmoush, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic on his bench instead to help the team.
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It is another frustration for the player though in a difficult season and another instance where it doesn't look as though the club has made the best decision either for McAtee or for the organisation.
Guardiola fought to keep McAtee with the squad at the start of the season after he had spent two years on loan with Sheffield United, and the youngster was determined to fight for his chance at the Etihad despite interest from elsewhere.
Nobody at City expected the year to go as it has, and instead of adding to a flourishing side McAtee found himself watching from the bench as the manager preferred his trusted stars to try and get themselves out of the slump they found themselves in.
A decisive contribution at Leicester just after Christmas and a hat-trick against Salford in the FA Cup a fortnight later breathed life into McAtee's campaign, yet also sought to remind other clubs of his talent.
There was interest again from clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen - who City hope to negotiate with to sign Florian Wirtz from this summer.
However, the option of a loan move abroad was closed off by the club and the message as the winter window came to an end was that McAtee was staying.
Even as Nico Gonzalez and Marmoush were signed, Guardiola said of McAtee in a press conference: "He's going to stay. We don't have enough players. We have a World Cup at the end of the season. We have a lot of games.
"I think he can play more minutes. There are minutes he has to fight for and continue to fight. I'm really pleased for Macca.
"At the same time, maybe an offer arrives where the club say we have to sell him. My opinion on Macca that I said to the club is clear but it is always the club and the club has to take resources and sell players and it depends on what happens."
In the nine games since, McAtee has seen more minutes - as well as starts in the FA Cup against Leyton Orient and Plymouth, he has come off the bench five times.
Yet, with injuries in midfield and attack easing, there was no space for McAtee at Forest. Maybe it was a one-off, but it would be much bigger news if the academy graduate was included in the squad at the expense of the more high-profile players who were at Forest.
If there is no change for Brighton on Saturday, McAtee will be left wondering why he was deemed too important to leave at the end of January but not important enough for matchdays by March.
Having turned down another opportunity to make money form a sale in winter or allow the player to add his to value with more regular starts elsewhere, City too may find there is an extra cost for them at the end of the season.
