The return of Manchester City players to training means planning can start to look towards a return to Premier League action.
Training is currently being carried out with strict social distancing guidelines, with clubs approving contact training on Wednesday.
After that will come a date for fixtures to resume, at least three months after City were last in action for the defeat at Manchester United.
For that game, City were without Aymeric Laporte, Kevin de Bruyne, Benjamin Mendy and Leroy Sane. Now, all four players and City's other injury concerns are back available to Pep Guardiola, who could have a fully-fit squad to choose from for the first time all season.
Against United, City lined up with a back four of Aleks Zinchenko, Nicolas Otamendi, Fernandinho and Joao Cancelo.
Whenever City get the green light to resume playing, it's conceivable that they will field a completely different back line with Mendy and Laporte back and fit.
Kyle Walker and John Stones could also come back in, with Fernandinho no longer needed to carry the defence out-of-position and Cancelo's future subject to plenty of reports linking him with moves away.
In midfield, Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo lined up at Old Trafford, but there would be expected to be at least one change to incorporate Kevin de Bruyne in the midfield trio.
The remaining nine games of the Premier League season are also an ideal opportunity to give Phil Foden more experience ahead of next season, so he should drop back into midfield alongside De Bruyne and one of Rodri or Gundogan.
Foden was named on the wing at United, but the return of Leroy Sane means he should come in opposite Raheem Sterling to support Sergio Aguero.
That line-up would leave the likes of Cancelo, Zinchenko, Otamendi, Fernandinho, Bernardo Silva, David Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus available from the bench, as well as youngsters Eric Garcia and Taylor Harwood-Bellis if needed.
City's priority for the rest of the season won't be the Premier League, but the first games back should be used to get all players back to match fitness as quickly as possible for the Champions League and FA Cup campaigns.
Potential Man City XI for their first game back: Ederson; Mendy, Laporte, Stones, Walker; Rodri, Foden, De Bruyne; Sane, Sterling, Aguero.
