Raheem Sterling has returned to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City starting XI for the visit of Southampton, but it has come at the cost of Ferran Torres' starting berth.
Sterling has not started a Premier League fixture for City since the opening day defeat at Tottenham, a three-game stint that saw Ferran deployed as a striker.
Now, after mixed performances from the young Spaniard - who is still learning the ropes of the number nine role - Sterling has been recalled. Given Guardiola's insistence that Gabriel Jesus is now a winger, it's likely that Sterling will directly replace Ferran as the number nine against the Saints.
The clash represents a huge opportunity for Sterling who was brilliant for England at the European Championship and recent World Cup qualifiers but has struggled for form at City since the title run-in last season. Phil Foden was preferred in the left-wing role at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, while summer signing Jack Grealish has been Guardiola's first-choice left-winger in recent weeks.
Grealish has been excellent in the league so far and after scoring and assisting in the midweek defeat of RB Leipzig, there was no way that he was going to lose his place in the team.
The swap of Ferran for Sterling speaks just as much of Guardiola's desperation to see Sterling return to his best as it does his uncertainty of Ferran's ability to lead the City line on a regular basis.
The 21-year-old has scored two goals and provided one assist in four league appearances this term, but, as he showed against Leicester, he still has a long way to go before he can be classed as an elite level goalscorer.
As Guardiola admitted after City failed to sign either Harry Kane or Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer, Ferran will take time to adapt to his new position.
His omission from the starting XI is less of a punishment, more of an expression of doubt and an incentive for the youngster to come back stronger. If he features in Tuesday's Carabao Cup game against Wycombe Wanderers, you can bet he'll end up on the scoresheet in a bid to prove Pep wrong.
The beauty of City's strength in depth is that their classy wingers are capable of creating lots of chances for whoever leads the line.
Sterling needs to take his chance against the Saints or it will likely be Ferran who lines up next Saturday against Chelsea.
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