Tottenham Hotspur have suffered a major injury blow heading into the busy Christmas period.
While Tottenham's update on Mousa Dembele's fitness could mean that the Belgian is back by the time the January transfer window opens, the club's announcement on their official website could certainly be considered a warning for Mauricio Pochettino's side.
Dembele is likely to be missing for the rest of the year after damaging ankle ligaments in the win over Wolves, meaning that he could be out for 12 games if he returns for the first fixture of 2019.
The news is a huge setback for Spurs, who face crucial Champions League group-stage ties with Inter Milan and Barcelona as well as two North London derbies.
Dembele may be back for January and remain at the club for the rest of the season, but that should not stop Spurs looking to get his replacement through the door during the next window.
And that replacement should perhaps be Wilmar Barrios.
Spurs appear to have been linked with Barrios for a long time now, and while ESPN reported last month that no move had been made, the Daily Star has more recently suggested that he remains on Tottenham's radar.
The Star's report added that Barrios' deal with Boca Juniors includes a £16 million release clause. Spurs must therefore consider acting incredibly quickly ahead of January - Real Madrid are also keen on the 25-year-old - and making sure that they are the ones to win the race to secure his signature.
Dembele unfortunately, is proving difficult to rely upon at this stage of his career and this latest setback is just another indication that they seriously need to think about replacing him.
Barrios may perhaps not be the standout option on the market in some people's eyes, but his asking price makes him significantly cheaper than the likes of Tanguy Ndombele and Frenkie de Jong (via Daily Mail), and the door is open for Spurs to potentially pull off an incredibly shrewd piece of business.