Wales suffered a huge blow 50 days out from the Rugby World Cup as Taulupe Faletau was ruled out of the tournament in Japan.
Losing a player of such obvious world class quality is never going to be anything other than a major loss, but just where does the injury suffered to leave Warren Gatland and co?
Who replaces him? Who packs down at the back of the scrum in the warm-ups and then the World Cup ? And how will Wales play without him?
There's plenty to think about now the 28-year-old is out of contention and we've answered the key questions below.
WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE WALES' BACK-ROW OPTIONS?
Wales have long been blessed in the back row but the injuries are mounting up slightly.
Ellis Jenkins remains out of action but continues his fight to return from a nasty knee injury that he suffered against South Africa last November.
Justin Tipuric, Aaron Wainwright and Ross Moriarty all appeared to be fit and firing on all cylinders when the media were invited to observe training out in Switzerland last month.
However, Aaron Shingler, James Davies and Josh Navidi have all carried injuries into camp. Wales medics were happy with their progress but whether or not they'll be match-ready for the England game is another question.
WILL WALES CALL SOMEONE UP?
Let's start with the first port of call when there's an injury: who's the next man in?
As things stand, Gatland hasn't immediately called someone into the training squad to replace Faletau, but with four warm-up games on the horizon, he might be about to.
It's a tough one. Wales aren't exactly bless with out-and-out No. 8s - with Faletau and Moriarty having been the only real options for some time now.
Looking across Wales for specialist No. 8s right now would probably see you throwing up names like Harrison Keddie or Taine Basham.
Much more likely is Gatland calling up a back-row who can also play No. 8, rather than vice versa.
Immediately, a few names jilted the first time around come to mind.
Blindside flanker Dan Lydiate might well have expected to have made the 42-man training squad and is capable of playing eight when needed.
So too Thomas Young - with the Wasps flanker having been involved with Wales during the Six Nations.
Josh Turnbull is a consistent figure who can feature across the back-row and second-row, which could count in his favour if they go down that route.
Wales are of course also tracking the progress of Jenkins - who suffered a horrific knee injury against South Africa last year. It always seemed the case that if Wales deemed him fit, he would be in the mix for selection. Faletau's injury might just have pushed his case even harder.
If you were a betting man, the sensible odds would be Lydiate, Young or Turnbull being called into the training squad while Jenkins continues to be monitored.
WHO PLAYS NO. 8 IN THE WARM-UPS?
Before Gatland can whittle his 42 down to 31 and fly off to Japan, there is the small matter of playing four warm-up games - two against England and two against Ireland.
Gatland will be keen to rotate playing time during those four matches to test partnerships and reduce workload.
With one No. 8 - Moriarty - in the squad, that's suddenly not such a simple task.
Navidi is in the training squad and is capable of playing 8 - but it's not certain that he will be fit for the first couple of warm-ups at least.
That likely leaves you with Moriarty, Tipuric and Wainwright as your starting back-row for next Sunday's trip to Twickenham - with Shingler probably still not ready after a long lay-off and Davies carrying a knock.
Suddenly, the need to call up some cover for the warm-ups becomes imperative. Especially, as Wales cannot afford another injury around the No. 8 position.
So expect Moriarty to start at Twickenham next week, but Wales will be frantically searching on others to carry the load for him the warm-ups because he has a big part to play in Japan.
WHO THEN PLAYS NO. 8 IN THE WORLD CUP?
Faletau's injury now means that Moriarty is the first-choice No. 8 - hence the need to get him through August unscathed.
When in Japan, Moriarty will start the big games at the back of the scrum.
Depending on who else makes the back-row selection, Gatland's No. 8 fears might be eased a touch.
If Navidi presumably makes the squad, he's an option there.
If Jenkins does come through late in the day, he too can play No. 8. If Moriarty, Navidi and Jenkins travel, Wales are set just fine.
If at least one of them doesn't, then you might be looking at someone like Wainwright or Lydiate to cover the position.
HOW DOES FALETAU'S ABSENCE AFFECT WALES?
Muddling through the warm-ups without Faletau may be a nuisance, but once Wales get to Japan, they have the depth to cope without him.
However, it's one thing to cope and one thing to excel.
Given Wales won a Grand Slam and are on a 14-match unbeaten streak in Faletau's absence, it would be wrong to suggest that they can't excel without the former Dragons man.
But it cannot be denied that he adds another dimension that Wales would have been keen to tap into this autumn.
At Bath, Faletau has thrived in the wider channels in a team that gets forwards in those pockets of space near the touchline.
Wales have often played with a 1-3-3-1 forward formation, playing with two pods of three in the middle of the pitch and a lurking forward out wide.
While that has given scope for Faletau to get wide, flitting between a 1-3-3-1 and 2-4-2 would only open Faletau's game up more. Wales have often indicated that they would have used this summer to continue working on their attacking game, adding more fluidity and versatility to the efficiency that worked so well in the Six Nations.
Moriarty is also useful in the wide channels, but perhaps lacks the ball-handling skills that Faletau possesses.
Would Wales push him wider with him rather than in the middle of the pitch where he can cause more destruction and create efficient, quick ball? That's one for Rob Howley to decide.
Wales are in a position of relative strength that they can cope with Faletau's injury, even if it means their World Cup preparation - both in tactics and personnel - might have to change.
But it's hard to escape the fact that this is a massive blow for Faletau, Gatland and Wales - and all before a ball has been kicked.
