As an international break begins, the Premier League takes a back seat after three rounds of matches in which some of its leading lights have remained noticeably absent.
Here is an XI from the lengthy list of players who have not played a single minute of football yet this season.
GK | Claudio Bravo | Manchester City
The sight of Ederson making a couple of saves against Bournemouth on Saturday reminded of why Bravo needed to be replaced. Meanwhile, Bravo has sat unused on the bench for each of City's three matches, and with Willy Caballero moved on, any loan move seems unlikely.
RWB | Matteo Darmian | Manchester United
The captain's armband on Antonio Valencia's bicep shows who United's first-choice right back is, and in the absence of the new left-back Jose Mourinho hoped for, and Luke Shaw, Daley Blind has filled in. Like Chris Smalling, also unused since the 2-1 Super Cup final defeat by Real Madrid, a transfer cannot be ruled out.
CB | Mamadou Sakho | Liverpool
Wholly unwanted by Jurgen Klopp, while Crystal Palace, where he excelled last season after a January loan move, cry out for a defender of his class. Embattled Palace manager Frank de Boer refused to commit to a move for the Frenchman when asked about it at the weekend.
CB | Jonny Evans | West Bromwich Albion
On Monday, Evans joined up with Northern Ireland's squad for their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers but has not played for Tony Pulis this season. Leicester are the latest club to move for him, though Manchester City seem the likeliest destination, should they be able to shift on Eliaquim Mangala.
CB | Virgil van Dijk | Southampton
The good news for Southampton is two clean sheets in three matches without the Dutchman, who remains exiled. Despite his club's repeated declarations that he is not moving anywhere, speculation continues to suggest he will join one of Liverpool, Manchester City or Chelsea, but time is dwindling fast for a player who has not kicked a completive ball since February.
LWB | Danny Rose | Tottenham Hotspur
Rose is unable to play as he recovers from a knee operation in May, but the sensational interview in which he criticised his salary and the transfer dealings of Spurs chairman Daniel Levy made him a target for the likes of Chelsea. Rose actually wishes to return to his northern heartlands but such a move seems unlikely.
CM | Michael Carrick | Manchester United
The signing of Nemanja Matic seems to have killed off Carrick's chances of being a Premier League regular while the Serbian patrols his previous beat at the base of midfield. Expect to see the club captain play next month in the EFL Cup, though it is worth recalling Carrick didn't start a league match until November last season.
CM | Danny Drinkwater | Leicester City
Chelsea seemingly still hope to link up Leicester's old midfield firm of N'Golo Kante and Drinkwater, who has missed the Foxes' opening three matches with a groin injury. It's possible he will line up against Leicester in Chelsea's next match following the international break.
CM | Yaya Toure | Manchester City
The fact that Kevin De Bruyne sat deep in City's midfield suggests Pep Guardiola is planning for a life beyond Toure, who signed a new one-year contract in May, but has yet to get onto the field this season. For Toure to regain a place, he may need to drop back into defence, where he has never been too enthusiastic about playing.
AM | Philippe Coutinho | Liverpool
Liverpool's excellence in destroying Arsenal on Sunday, the 4-0 scoreline not remotely flattering them, reminded that Coutinho may not be indispensable. Ousmane Dembele's £97m move to Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund may also have drained the Catalan club's coffers. After asking to leave, Coutinho, once he recovers from his muscle and sickness problems, has much to prove to the Anfield faithful.
AM | Eden Hazard | Chelsea
Had he not suffered a postseason ankle injury that will keep him out for a few weeks longer, Hazard may have been a central figure to the summer's transfer frenzy. As it is, Real Madrid have not made a move that many had predicted, and Barcelona instead looked to the likes of Dembele and Coutinho after their embarrassing loss of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.
CF | Diego Costa | Chelsea
Ronald Koeman has hinted that he would like to work with Costa at Everton and a deal involving Ross Barkley, another yet to play a Premier League minute, could be practical. Costa, back playing football, but only five-a-side in Brazil, looks far more likely to sit it out until he can return to transfer-embargoed Atletico Madrid in January.