Getting injured and sitting out the season doesn’t cancel your purpose. It changes your position on the team.

An injury takes away the thing you were doing and leaves you holding the question of who you are without it. That question gets frightening fast when your worth has quietly been stacked on top of playing time. Sitting out ends a season, not a reason for being here. What you are for does not come off with the kit.

If you are on the sidelines, pick one way to be useful from there this week. Learn the other team properly, help the younger player who is now getting your minutes, keep turning up to sessions. Then let yourself be sad about it too.