Glasgow Rangers will be grateful the international break arrived when it did, especially considering their previous two results.
Michael Beale has overseen two potentially season-damaging results recently, losing 5-1 to PSV Eindhoven that saw the Ibrox side miss out on the Champions League group stages, while a 1-0 defeat to Celtic in the Premiership was a major setback.
Despite nine summer arrivals, it appears the 43-year-old still doesn’t know his strongest starting XI or what system to operate with, which is slightly worrying.
There has been some good news recently with the return of Kemar Roofe and Tom Lawrence from injury and these two players could certainly add some attacking spark into the starting XI.
How long was Tom Lawrence injured for?
The Welshman was signed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst last summer after he departed Derby County, and it looked like an encouraging piece of business by the Dutchman heading into the 2022/23 season.
The left-winger played just nine matches for the Gers before suffering a season-ending injury against Ross County, however, which saw him miss a grand total of 49 games for club and country, even missing out on representing Wales at the 2022 World Cup.
He stepped up his recovery this summer under Beale and the signs were looking good for him to finally make an impression under the former QPR boss as the Light Blues looked to have a good start to the 2023/24 campaign.
How good is Tom Lawrence?
Prior to moving to Glasgow, Lawrence had shone for Derby in the Championship, making 185 appearances for the Rams, scoring 37 goals and registering 25 assists across those matches, which works out at roughly a goal contribution every three games.
The £22k-per-week dynamo showcased his attacking talents during his first few weeks at the Gers shortly after arriving last summer.
He was particularly impressive in the Champions League qualifiers, scoring once – a wonderful free-kick against PSV – as the club qualified for the lucrative group stages, while he also shone domestically.
His two goals and two assists across his opening five league matches suggested that Lawrence was going to be a key attacking outlet for the Gers. He also created one big chance, averaged 1.8 key passes per game and took 3.4 shots per game during those ties and the injury certainly derailed not only his momentum, but the team's in general.
Wayne Rooney previously described the 29-year-old as being “magnificent”, high praise indeed from arguably one of England’s finest-ever footballers, and it shows just how effective he can be when fit and healthy.
Rangers have scored just six goals in four Premiership matches, with four coming in one game against Livingston, and it's clear that Beale needs Lawrence back in the side to offer some added attacking dynamism.
The panic button won't need to be pressed just yet, but another one or two poor results against St Johnstone and Real Betis, once the international break is over, could potentially derail the season before it has even really started.
Lawrence should be given an opportunity in the starting XI and there is no doubt he could carry on where he left off before his injury woes.