Getting your star men back is usually cause for celebration. It becomes something trickier when the stand-ins have outperformed every expectation.
That is the puzzle facing Greek coach Georgios Donis, manager of the Saudi Arabia national team, with Salem Al-Dawsari and Saud Abdulhamid edging closer to a return. Gulf Cup 27 showed Saudi Arabia can shine and lift trophies without some of their most prominent key players.
Donis guided the Green Falcons to the title for the fourth time in their history during that Gulf tournament, leaning on a group of players who were handed their chance and proved they could add value.
With the big names back, the challenge goes beyond picking the strongest line-up on paper. He has to protect the harmony already built without wasting what the tournament's standout performers delivered.
The replacements for Saud and Salem: the secret behind the Gulf Cup 27 triumph
At right-back, Donis found several answers in the absence of Saud Abdulhamid. Mohammed Mahzari, Nawaf Boushal and Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat all got their chance, and the trio delivered notable performances that kept the national team balanced and gave the coaching staff more flexibility in managing matches.
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Leaning on those names was never just a forced stopgap. It uncovered new options Donis can use down the line.
Down the left flank, other players emerged capable of making the difference. Hammam Al-Hammami led the way, shining brightly enough to win the award for best player of the tournament, with Sultan Mandash and Saleh Abu Al-Shamat also performing well and handing the national team varied attacking solutions.
That group proved the absence of Salem Al-Dawsari did not strip Saudi Arabia of pace, skill or the ability to break through opposition defences. It simply gave new faces the chance to prove themselves.
The return of the stars: will Donis's calculations change?
Nobody can ignore the technical value Salem Al-Dawsari brings, thanks to his experience and his ability to make the difference in big matches. Saud Abdulhamid is an important addition too, thanks to his qualities on the right flank and his professional experience.
Their return is a clear gain for the national team. Their presence in the squad does not automatically mean every position filled by the replacements goes straight back to its previous owner without a fight.
Donis's dilemma is how to strike a balance between the status of the stars and his new technical options. Restoring Salem to the left flank may affect the role of Hammam Al-Hammami, who delivered an exceptional tournament, while the return of Saud may throw Mahzari, Boushal and Abu Al-Shamat into a fresh battle for the right-back slot after they seized the opportunity they were given.
Donis faces his toughest test: satisfy the stars or reward those who shone?
Managing all of this will not be easy. The coming phase demands that Donis preserves the collective spirit that carried the national team to the title while also making use of the experience of his key players.
A coach who found alternative solutions during Gulf Cup 27 must now prove he can blend those elements with the returning players, without the team losing its identity or the balance it showed during the tournament.
Handled properly, the return of Salem and Saud should not become a genuine crisis within the national team. It can instead sharpen competition and raise the quality of the available options.
That requires Donis to make performance and readiness his two main criteria, rather than relying on names alone. So will the Greek coach stick with the players who led him to the Gulf title, or will star quality impose itself once more on the starting line-up? The answer will largely determine the shape of Saudi Arabia in their upcoming challenges.