Mohamed Salah has been here before with Liverpool.
Last year, there were whispers about his form going into the new campaign, concerns over his sharpness and possible tiredness having returned to pre-season later than most of his team-mates due to Africa Cup of Nations commitments.
Twelve months earlier, while there were a clutch of goals during the warm-up programme, the worry was how Salah was coping after being rushed back for the World Cup in the wake of his Champions League final injury nightmare.
And, of course, back in 2017, all eyes were on the Egyptian to witness exactly how he was going to repay the £36.9million Liverpool had spent to take him from Roma that summer.
Now Salah finds himself in the strange position of going into a fourth season at the Reds with question marks over his contribution.
Some fitful performances during the truncated preparation period have exacerbated concerns that were first raised during the post-lockdown return to action.
Salah sat out the first game back at Everton through injury and then scored just three times in eight subsequent outings. Factor in a blank in the Community Shield last month, and the forward hasn't scored in his last five Liverpool games.
Yet on each occasion, with the spotlight on him, Salah has delivered on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.
First came a debut goal in the 3-3 draw at Watford. The following year, Salah netted the opener in a 4-0 stroll against West Ham United at Anfield. And last year he struck in the 4-1 win over Norwich City.
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True, the post-World Cup hangover in 2018 did ultimately affect Salah, but he wasn't alone with Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane also suffering.
But a change of formation to 4-2-3-1 with Salah in central role sparked him and his fellow forwards back into goalscoring life.
That could yet happen, Jurgen Klopp having used the warm-up programme to tinker with tactics.
And if Salah does score on the opening weekend for the fourth successive season, he will match the Premier League record held by Teddy Sheringham.
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The Liverpool man has further reason to regain his scoring touch.
Salah has netted 94 times for Liverpool in 153 appearances, an astonishing return. Should he score six in his first 11 outings this term, he will become the third-fastest player to reach a century of goals for the Reds, behind Roger Hunt and Jack Parkinson - a top-flight leading goalscorer 110 years ago - but ahead of Robbie Fowler.
Whenever Salah has come under scrutiny, he has found the ideal response. Don't be surprised if Leeds United discover that on Saturday.
