Manchester City planned to cut David Silva's gametime down this season to make sure their magician stayed as mercurial for as long as possible.
Pep Guardiola made a demanding position on the pitch even more challenging by asking his players to work harder off the ball, and 33-year-old Silva is very much a senior citizen in an increasingly youthful squad.
Except things have not turned out as expected. Raheem Sterling, Aymeric Laporte, and Bernardo Silva are the only outfield players to have appeared more for City in this year's Premier League, so as much as Bernardo's brilliance has covered the absence of Kevin De Bruyne the consistency and longevity of David has been as crucial.
After an injury that saw him miss most of December, the Spaniard has been pretty much ever-present; Guardiola has started him in the last eight games and 11 of the last 12.
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If the first half of the campaign saw him conjure new tricks with five goals in six games in autumn though, the second half has seen his influence wane. January 14, when Wolves were beaten 3-0, is the last time he was given more than a 7 in the M.E.N player ratings - not a definitive review but a pretty accurate recording of performances that have been decent but decidedly short of his sparkling best.
More than any other player, Silva has looked like he could use a rest.
Thankfully for Guardiola, Silva took the decision back in August to retire from international football. Rather than heading off for fixtures against Norway and Malta, the playmaker has instead put his feet up before returning to training in Manchester with a smile.
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One of the most talented players the Premier League has seen also knows exactly what it takes to win, with the Champions League the only major honour missing from an outstanding career.
To have him - as well as Laporte and Fernandinho - fully refreshed gives Guardiola an ideal spine of the team to push on in the 11-15 games left in three competitions. It will also allow De Bruyne to work his way back up to match sharpness without any immediate pressure, knowing that his teammates are taking care of results in the meantime.
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