Has Marc Leonard's red card in the draw with Livingston cost him a starting role in the Heart of Midlothian midfield?
It is a question posed by some fans in the last couple of weeks following that afternoon in West Lothian and then the return of the Cammy Devlin and Beni Baningime partnership for the first time from the start since January in the win over Motherwell on Saturday.
It is a pairing that has started 12 times in the league this season. Hearts have won 11 of those games, drawing the other. And it is a pairing fans have grown to love over the last five seasons, making 295 appearances for the club between them.
If the partnership has been broken up and things are not going well, there is a clamour for them to be reinstated as midfield partners. When things are not going well when they are partnering one another, there is a clamour for Hearts to evolve in the middle of the pitch.
Put simply, it has been a partnership that, by and large, has been formidable and one that has been key to two third-place finishes and now a title challenge.
No matter what the future holds for the duo, they have been excellent signings and have made worthy and positive contributions, individually and as a pairing.
When it came to dropping points at Livingston, there was a clamour for the return to the tried, the tested and the trusted.
Now, athletes, no matter the sport, should be like goldfish, as noted by Ted Lasso. Yet, it is not uncommon for football fans, no matter who they support, to become goldfish and have a 10-second memory.
Leonard, it should be remembered, has been the team's best January signing and one of the best Premiership additions in January.
At a time when Hearts were set to be without Devlin for a prolonged period and Baningime for a key Premiership encounter, he was the perfect addition.
"We were fortunate to have Marc Leonard. I think for us, that was one that we had to react to. It wasn't a position that we were looking to get in January. But because it was January when Beni and Cammy went out, we were fortunate enough that we could react," Derek McInnes said recently.
"I thought we reacted really well as a club to get somebody like Marc in. We don't ordinarily go down the loan route, but I think sometimes needs must and he was the perfect option at the perfect time for us. I've been absolutely delighted with him.
"I like him as much as a player as I do as a person. He's a great kid, Glasgow boy, fitted in brilliantly with the squad and I think sometimes when you have that instant connection, you're not waiting a few months for him to fit in.
"It was exactly what we needed and his performances have been really strong. I'm really pleased with him, so delighted that he's played a bigger role in helping us stay where we are."
The reality is that in Baningime, in Devlin, in Leonard, McInnes has three very good central midfield options, not to forget Blair Spittal as well as Tomas Magnusson and Oisin McEntee, albeit he could be without the latter two.
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As he noted, "it's just great to have those good players available to you, because I do think we'll lean on everybody, you don't know what's around the corner in terms of injuries".
But because both Devlin and Baningime are back, does that mean when it comes to the base of the midfield, Leonard becomes the odd man out?
It can be argued that the opposite is the case.
One of the criticisms of Leonard following the Livingston game was that he went sideways too much. A criticism that has been levelled at both Baningime and Devlin during their time at Hearts.
Yet, out of the three, Leonard is the most progressive in possession.
You can see that in the radars below. Leonard is in the red and compared to Devlin and Baningime, who are both in the blue, resectively.
"I think midfield area, getting Cammy back, getting Beni back into things, and Marc Leonard, they're all similar, but they're all quite different in what they can give you," McInnes said.
He added: "I think he is somebody who handles the ball brilliantly, he's got a wee bit more in him in the final bit as well.
"We see it in training, he's got that last shot in him, that last bit of quality and last pass in him as well. I think he's got a lot to his game, but he's done himself no harm in playing football, and I think he's clearly enjoying it."
No player in the team progresses the ball into the final third more than Leonard via a pass or carry. He plays more final-third passes than both Devlin and Baningime, while his average pass length is longer and he passes forward more often.
Now, this is not a slight on the other two. It is to demonstrate that the trio add different qualities to the midfield. Devlin is the best ball winner in the league. Baningime is one of the most composed ball recyclers in the league and Leonard is more of a deep playmaker with the ability to progress the ball up the pitch effectively.
They also possess some similar traits, as noted by McInnes, in their ability to get on the ball, play short passes to build play and they are all adept at doing the grittier side of the game.
Both Baningime and Devlin, especially, have made strides in being more aggressive on the ball this season, fitting with what their head coach wants from his midfielders, but they don't quite have the creative arsenal that Leonard possesses.
There is no doubt that Devlin is one of the first names on the team sheet. His tenacity and ball-winning skills, mixed with the leadership and personality, epitomise this Hearts side under McInnes. And there are elements of his game that simply can't be replicated.
But different games will call for a different balance in midfield. Perhaps even all three in the same midfield, with Leonard playing more advanced.
To answer the question we started with, no, the red card has most certainly not cost Leonard a starting role in the Hearts midfield. He will have a big role to play in the final five games, free of suspension.
