Few players can say that they are key figures for their national team but unable to get a look in for their club.
Then again, Ethan Ampadu is no ordinary player.
Because he broke through at Exeter City, whom he left for Chelsea in 2017, when he was 15 it is easy to forget that he is still a teenager now.
Chelsea rate the 18-year-old very highly and he is expected to eventually become a first-team regular. However, the early stages of his loan move to RB Leipzig have been frustrating as he has failed to get a single minute of action.
And that is exacerbated by him already becoming an important player for Ryan Giggs’s Wales team, with the former Manchester United winger mentioning his irritation at a lack of game time.
There are many questions to be answered regarding Ampadu’s future. Here, football.london attempts to bring some clarity.
Do we even know what his best position is?
No. He has played at centre back and as a holding midfielder and looked polished in both roles.
It is always risky to read too much into pre-season but the evidence in Ireland back in July suggested that Ampadu's future at Chelsea would more likely rest in midfield.
That is where he lined up in Frank Lampard's first friendly in charge, a 1-1 draw with Bohemians.
The teenager, who is under contract until the summer of 2023, had started well in a 4-2-3-1 alongside Danny Drinkwater but there was a notable moment about a half an hour in when Lampard called Ampadu across to provide some specific instructions regarding his use of possession and positioning.
Chelsea were encouraged by his work at the beginning of pre-season but ultimately decided quite early a loan move would be more beneficial.
Looking at Chelsea's depth chart, does his future not look brighter in defence?
Considering the early season defensive issues, he may have been worth a shot at centre back rather than go out loan.
Antonio Rudiger, expected to return from injury away to Wolves this weekend, is undoubted first choice but who his partner will be as the campaign develops is less clearcut.
Lampard has spoken more than once of the competition from the four centre backs in his squad but Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma have hardly been impressive and Fikayo Tomori's only start was the draw at home to Sheffield United.
Regular minutes as a holding midfielder with Jorginho and N'Golo Kante ahead of Ampadu in the pecking order seems a greater challenge. But things can change quickly, as we have seen by the Italian's rapidly altering perception.
Why has he not played for Leipzig yet?
Julian Nagelsmann’s team have started their Bundesliga campaign impressively, winning all three games before the international break.
Ampadu watched two of those games from the substitutes’ bench and was not in the matchday squad for the win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
With Leipzig on top of the Bundesliga table, there was no need for Nagelsmann to make many unforced alterations - although he has tweaked the team’s shape from a back four to back three.
Then again, the Champions League starts next week (Leipzig are in a group with Benfica, Lyon and Zenit), so it would be a surprise if Ampadu is not involved over the next fortnight.
Could he have moved elsewhere?
Yes, several clubs in Germany and England were interested in bringing him in on loan but Chelsea felt that Leipzig was a good fit because they also had Champions League football and therefore an opportunity to play at the highest level.
The club would not have let him go without some assurances regarding playing time.
How come he is already a big deal for Wales?
In a squad filled with some exciting young talent including Harry Wilson and Daniel James, Ampadu has left quite an impression for a team not exactly blessed with defensive midfield options.
Last season he won six international caps, while making just five appearances for Chelsea (three in the Europa League, two in the FA Cup).
It has meant that when turning up on international duty he has been undercooked, a source of frustration for Giggs.
The Wales manager started him in the nervy 2-1 win against Azerbaijan on Friday night and reflected afterwards that he did well to last 77 minutes because of his lack of playing time.
“He’s a future leader and it’s great to see him get minutes on the pitch,” Giggs said. “It’s my hope that he’ll get more games and he’ll get better.”
Every Chelsea supporter will be hoping the same.
