Mark Hughes is not too worried about being without Emmanuel Adebayor against West Ham on Monday because his Manchester City players need to get used to it.
Adebayor will complete the final match of a three-match suspension picked up for his facial attack on Robin van Persie.
The disciplinary problems are not over for the £25million striker either given he is still to face an improper conduct charge brought by the FA following the former Arsenal man's controversial goal celebration against his old club.
Yet Hughes is looking much further forward, to the African Cup of Nations in January.
If Togo demand Adebayor's release as soon as FIFA statutes allow and then go on to be successful in the competition, which will be played in Angola, the 25-year-old could be missing for an entire month.
During that period, City's hopes of success on all three fronts might be put to the test.
Hughes realises there can be no slip ups. So, while he would have preferred Adebayor to be available at Eastlands, he does not view facing the Hammers without his number one striker as a major handicap.
"Ade has been a big part of the start that we have been able to achieve," said the City boss.
"But at times during the season, certainly when he is on international duty next year, we will have to go into games without him.
"We may as well get used to being without him and making sure we understand what we have to do when he is not around."
Hughes is delighted with the way his side have responded to being without Adebayor.
Five goals in two games so far is a pretty good return, even though three of them came in that amazing defeat at Old Trafford last weekend.
Still the loss of City's 100% record has not proved to be a complete disaster given Chelsea's shock defeat at Wigan yesterday.
It means that the six point gap between the Blues and leaders Manchester United can be eroded completely if they win their matches in hand, both of which are at home.
A new date is still to be found for the home encounter with Everton, which was postponed in August due to the Toffeemen's participation in the qualifying rounds of the new Europa League.
On Monday night though, they would appear to have the not-too-difficult task of overcoming a West Ham side that has slipped into the relegation zone on the back of three successive defeats.
Not that Hughes is taking anything for granted, which is why he is glad of the additional rest a Monday fixture has brought.
"The players were absolutely shattered after the Fulham game on Wednesday," he said.
"If we had been playing again yesterday we would have been looking to rest some of them."
Hughes is likely to have £17million summer arrival Roque Santa Cruz available for the first time, along with England Under-21 midfielder Michael Johnson, whose progress has been halted by an abdominal problem that has bothered him for two seasons.
Martin Petrov is also pushing for his first start, although Hughes might be tempted to leave things as they are, even if Micah Richards recovers from a shoulder problem that kept him out in midweek.
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