Mateus Fernandes has welcomed his first child, which appears to account for his notable absence from recent Tottenham Hotspur training sessions.
The club published videos and images of the squad working intensively at Hotspur Way before departing for their warm-weather training camp in Marbella this week, with Roberto De Zerbi seeking to strengthen team cohesion following a summer transfer window that saw 10 new arrivals.
While footage released by the club featured players including Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and the majority of the roster participating in seven-a-side matches and additional exercises at the Enfield facility, two players were conspicuously absent. One was Lucas Bergvall, who had impressed in the 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Saturday, and the other was fellow midfielder Fernandes, 22, who contributed to Dominic Solanke's 92nd-minute equalizer.
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The explanation regarding the Portuguese player has now seemingly emerged. The Tottenham star, acquired for £85 million (around $112 million) from West Ham United during the summer, shared two photographs on his Instagram story on Thursday.
The first showed him arriving home with his partner and newborn son, accompanied by the message: "Welcome Goncalo", via football.london.
The second photograph captured Fernandes cradling the newest family member, suggesting De Zerbi granted him leave from training to be present with his partner and baby.
Despite his costly transfer across London, Fernandes has yet to secure a regular starting berth in the Italian's Tottenham lineup.
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"Mateus Fernandes is a great player. Maybe one of the best in our team. He needs time to understand the club. He needs time to come inside the environment of the club," said De Zerbi. "I have big confidence in him and all the confidence of the club, but he needs time. We have to give him time."
With Rodrigo Bentancur now facing a three-game suspension following his red card at Old Trafford, Fernandes will be eager to capitalize on the additional playing time - even as he navigates the sleepless early days of becoming a new father - starting with a visit from Coventry City on Monday.