That international break, eh? It's perhaps only behind referees on the list of things that send football managers into a spin on a regular basis.
Bosses are left waiting anxiously, dreading the sound of the phone ringing or an email dropping in from some apologetic FA, detailing how player X is out for six months after twisting an ankle ankle stepping off a plane in some far flung corner of the globe.
Steven Gerrard became the latest to vent his anger at a national setup this week, slamming the Croatian FA over their handling of an injury to left-back Borna Barisic .
Barisic was taken off during his side's surprise defeat Hungary and assessed by national team doctors instead of being put on the first plane back to Glasgow.
Gerrard now wants to take a no-nonsense stance during future breaks and insists if his players aren't immediately heading home after picking up a knock on international duty then they could be punished.
The Rangers manager, whose comments also hinted at a frustration with Barisic himself, said: “It is disappointing because he should be available.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard slams Croatian FA over handling of Borna Barisic
“He had a small chance but we never got him back till a couple of days later, for whatever reason.
“We pay the players’ wages. Out of respect for the club he should be on the first flight back and our medical team should take over.
“We’ll change the rules for all our players from the summer. If you’re not on the next flight, you are going to leave yourself wide open to a punishment.”
It's a fair point in many respects - Rangers do indeed pay Barisic's wages and there's the small matter of a trip to Parkhead to contend with on Sunday, a fixture that is could be pivotal to Gerrard's own future.
Conflict of interest between clubs and international teams is commonplace (and tedious) nowadays and there's an increasing feeling that players are far quicker to rule themselves out of playing for their country than they would be for their club - just ask Alex McLeish.
But, despite his comments, Gerrard may struggle to have certain demands met.
The rules, according to football law experts In Brief, prevent an immediate player recall in certain circumstances.
International breaks generally consist of teams playing two games in a week and if a player picks up a knock during or after the first fixture, the national side's medical staff have the final say over what happens next.
Clubs can voice their concerns, and no doubt this has and will continue to influence decisions, but ultimately it's up to the national team whether the player stays or goes in this instance.
Of course, Barisic's situation differs in that he was injured after the second game and Croatia apparently dithered over letting him go back to Rangers, despite the defender having no further commitments with them.
Gerrard's frustration with that is understandable, but it's the scenario detailed above that could cause future conflict, especially with his vow to punish players for not returning as soon as possible.
