If Renato Sanches gets on the pitch when Portugal take on Croatia in the Nations League on Thursday, it will be the first time he has played in a competitive match since February.
For the man once touted as Europe's finest young midfielder, a return to Portugal's squad on this international break represents a rare and welcome glimmer of hope.
Yet Renato Sanches is a man who knows a thing or two about hope, and how quickly it can disappear.
It disappeared for him two years ago, when he was hailed as the most exciting talent in Europe, and lived up to that mantle with brilliant performances at Euro 2016.
Pursued by the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, the young Portuguese opted for Bayern Munich. It would prove to be disastrous gamble.
At Bayern, his career stalled, as he struggled to find his form and earn himself a place in the team. Hope sprang anew last summer when he was sent out on loan to Swansea, but things only got worse in South Wales.
Injured for most of the season, he was underwhelming to say the least when he did play, and both player and club could hardly wait to see the back of each other by the time he left. Hope had deserted him again.
As the summer began, there were rumours that Sanches would return to Benfica. Yet, perhaps surprisingly, he decided to stay at Bayern, perhaps because new coach Niko Kovac had given him reason to hope.
'He'll come back to us, because Niko Kovac is going to try to bring him back to his former strength,' said Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in May.
For a few weeks in pre-season, it looked as if Kovac might be doing just that. Sanches, who had looked scared of the ball and himself for much of the previous 18 months, suddenly appeared to be confident again.
In a 3-1 friendly win against Paris Saint-Germain, he scored Bayern's second with a delightfully struck direct free-kick, and ran the game in midfield.
'When a player comes from another country, another environment, you can't expect him to settle in so quickly,' said Kovac the next day. 'I'm sure he will play a lot of good games for Bayern this year.'
Sanches, for his part, heaped praise on his new boss. Kovac, he said, was doing extraordinary work and was helping every player individually. Known as a fine man-manager, Kovac's back-to-basics approach seemed to have Sanches back on track.
'People aren't that difficult,' said the Bayern coach. 'Renato is a simple guy, and he hasn't forgotten how to play football. Football is like life, you need affection, appreciation and confidence. You only get confidence with support and he has my support.'
As the summer wore on, Sanches became no longer a burdensome squad player to be jettisoned if possible, but rather an asset worth protecting.
Rather than a humble return to his roots in Benfica, the rumour mill had him heading for the riches and glamour of PSG.
Hope, though, has a way with Renato Sanches. Just as things were looking up, the Portuguese's body caught up with him once again.
A back injury kept him out of one of Bayern's final training camps, and since then, it has been the same old tragic story for Renato Sanches, who has not even made it onto the bench this season.
With the likes of Javi Martinez, Thiago and James in the squad, he was never going to be first choice in midfield. Add World Cup winner Corentin Tolisso and in form Leon Goretzka to the equation, and first team football is understandably still hard to come by.
Yet even in light of all that, it has been a brutal few weeks for Sanches. On his 21st birthday last month, he was left out of Bayern's squad for a first-round German cup tie against fourth tier Drochtersen/Assel. Since then he has had to watch from the stands in both of Bayern's two Bundesliga games.
'I feel sorry for every individual who doesn't make the squad,' said Kovac. 'But there will be a lot rotation.
'I know that the lads are disappointed, and that's as it should be.'
Yet you could forgive Renato Sanches for not holding out much hope. For all his fine words in the summer, Kovac has not delivered on his promise to give him game time, nor even the vague sniff of game time with a seat on the bench.
Opportunities, like hope, remain a rarity for Renato Sanches.