Just over a month into the new Premier League season, club football has been put on hold for the first international break of the campaign.
This year, however, the pause is longer than usual.
The traditional September and October international windows have effectively been combined, with many nations set to play four matches before domestic football resumes in October.
For most European players, that means Nations League duty, while national teams across Africa and South America also have fixtures scheduled during the extended break.
For club managers, it presents a rare opportunity to step away from the relentless run of domestic games, reassess what has gone right and wrong, and work more closely with those players who haven’t been called up by their countries.
That could prove particularly useful for Manchester United manager Michael Carrick.
United have made a poor start to the new campaign, collecting just five points from their opening five Premier League matches and already finding themselves under pressure after a summer that failed to deliver the kind of progress many supporters had hoped for.
So much so that Antonio Conte has reportedly been contacted by Manchester United to establish his availability should the club decide to make a managerial change.
The situation surrounding JJ Gabriel, who has asked to leave Old Trafford, has also added another unwanted distraction.
The international break therefore gives Carrick and the club a chance to reset away from the usual weekly spotlight.
But not every Manchester United player will be heading away on international duty.
Those who remain in Manchester will still be working at Carrington, and it appears United have now lined up an unusual fixture during the break.
Swiss newspaper Blick, via Sport Witness, reports that FC Lausanne-Sport will travel to Manchester to play a friendly against a Manchester United youth side.
For those unaware, Lausanne-Sport are part of the INEOS football network alongside Manchester United and French side OGC Nice.
The relationship between United and the Swiss club has already been used this season.
Tyler Fredricson moved to Lausanne on a permanent basis, while midfielder Sekou Kone returned to the club on loan for a second spell after previously spending part of last season in Switzerland.
According to Blick, Lausanne will first spend a week training in Switzerland before travelling to Manchester.
Their squad for the trip could include first-team players who are not away with their national teams, with the aim of the visit being to strengthen the relationship between the two clubs.
That makes the fixture useful on a number of levels.
For Lausanne, it gives fringe and academy players the opportunity to get valuable minutes during a long break in their domestic schedule.
For Manchester United, it offers younger players the chance to face senior opposition, while any first-team players left behind at Carrington could potentially be involved depending on how the game is structured.
It also gives INEOS another opportunity to develop the relationship between two clubs under its wider football umbrella.
No date has yet been publicly announced for the friendly and there is currently no indication that the match will be broadcast or opened to supporters.
It therefore remains to be seen whether Manchester United will officially publicise the fixture beforehand or whether details will only emerge once the game has taken place.
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