The first international break of the season is upon us, with Nottingham Forest head coach Sabri Lamouchi, in particular, welcoming the well-earned breather.
The Frenchman has frequently spoken about the “crazy” month of August which saw the games come thick and fast - eight in total.
So these two weeks are a chance to come up for air, take stock and get ready to go again as the Reds look to build on a seven-match unbeaten run when the action resumes.
And it could be that the break has come at a good time for Lamouchi and his charges…
Injury boost
Joao Carvalho is back. And oh how he’s been missed.
The Portuguese magician announced his return from an ankle injury with a goal and an assist across the two games in which he’s featured.
He’s played less than an hour in total, so far, but it hasn’t taken him long to get back into the swing of things, unlocking defences and weighing in with match-changing moments of quality.
There’s still much more to come from Carvalho, though. He won’t quite yet be up to maximum sharpness.
There was no point in Forest rushing him back and asking him to go full-pelt from the off.
This fortnight will give him that extra bit of recovery time, and it could be he’s ready to start games by the time the trip to Swansea City comes around.
Some of the club’s other injury absentees are longer-term ones, with Tendayi Darikwa and Yohan Benalouane expected to be on the sidelines for several months yet.
But Ryan Yates is getting closer to a comeback after a knee operation and Lamouchi previously said Michael Hefele was not too far off.
The manager might soon find he has more options available to him.
Finding form
By his own incredibly high standards, Joe Lolley has had a fairly quiet start to the campaign.
The winger has still had his moments - against Birmingham City and Derby County, for instance - but he hasn’t quite been at his rampaging, terrorising best.
He’s had to show a different side to his game at times, pitching in with the defensive side of things when the Reds have come under pressure, with Lamouchi singling out his efforts against Leeds United.
But there’s no doubt Lolley is at his most effective when he’s giving opposition defenders heart palpitations and beating keepers with goal of the season contenders.
He’s had to contend with a foot problem, which kept him out of the 1-1 draw at Charlton Athletic.
And Lamouchi said after he brought off the club’s reigning Player of the Year in the 68th minute against Derby County: “Joe Lolley, he had a broken finger.
“I am just joking! Because with a broken finger he is playing very well.
“When he decides to change the rhythm, he is one of our key players, a dangerous player.
“He needs to do and to try more, but it is not easy for him.”
Hopefully Lolley can soon get back to hitting the heights he showed last term when the Championship gets back underway, with the fortnight off an opportunity to press the reset button.
On the training ground
Speaking of which… some valuable minutes on the training pitch should help Lolley and the rest of his teammates as they continue to get to grips with
The former Rennes chief has bemoaned the lack of time he has had to work with his players, after taking charge in June and having to contend with a heavy fixture list - both in pre-season and in competitive action.
Forest have done well considering; for a new-look squad under a new manager they’ve made great strides already.
With any luck, that progress can continue after some concentrated coaching time.
Lamouchi can work on getting the best out of players like Lolley and Lewis Grabban, who he has admitted needs more support on occasions. He can work on systems, tactics and set-piece routines; finding a way to maximise his resources.
With only a few players expected to be away on international duty, the majority of the squad will be in place - a chance for the manager to get his ideas across and for his charges to keep working on the relationships they have already developed on the pitch.
That is after a few days of much-needed rest, of course.
