When it comes to numbers in defence, Manchester United could arguably be considered a little threadbare at this moment in time.
Lisandro Martinez being sidelined in the Old Trafford treatment room currently had the potential to unsettle the back four, alongside the fact Luke Shaw also finds himself out of Erik ten Hag's plans for the foreseeable owing to a troubling muscle injury.
Yet, both Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof have filled in admirably when their team have needed them to step up. But, with Evans also pulling up recently with a knock of his own, the injury list just gets more and more problematic for the Dutch boss to contend with in the Theatre of Dreams hot seat.
Still, even with the lack of bodies at Ten Hag's disposal, the ex-Ajax manager wouldn't be any happier having this former Red Devils centre-back in the building with the player in question's transfer value plummeting so late into his career.
Chris Smalling's time at Manchester United
Chris Smalling would bow out from the Red Devils as a respectable and long-lived servant when he departed for AS Roma in 2019, with the Red Devils masterfully managing to recuperate £18m for the 6 foot 4 centre-back that they purchased for, according to Football Transfers, at around the £6.8m ballpark in 2010.
Smalling would accumulate an astounding 323 appearances in total for his former employers before relocating to Italy, helping himself to 18 goals along the way as an often dependable member of the back four.
Yet, his time with United would come to an end at the conclusion of the 2018/19 season despite Smalling putting pen to paper on a new contract at Old Trafford in December of 2018.
The season prior, Smalling would score the most cherished strike from his 18-goal back catalogue to etch himself into Man United folklore.
Wearing his former Man United number 12 strip with pride, the towering defender would fire home late on to play his part in the Red Devils overcoming Manchester City on their own patch 3-2.
The £18m fee coughed up by Roma must have been too steep for Smalling's ex-club to even contemplate a flat-out rejection, with the Serie A giants obviously taken aback by what they saw of the former Fulham defender after one season on loan to then sign him permanently.
It was a deal that the Premier League outfit must have regretted accepting in the immediate aftermath, especially when casting an eye over how swiftly Smalling acclimatised to the demands of his new country.
The 31-time England international would initially take to the Serie A like a duck to water, justifying his price-tag with warrior-like displays even when his ex-Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho eventually strolled into the building.
Chris Smalling's time at Roma
Smalling has gone on to become a fan's favourite amongst the fiery Roma masses since leaving England behind, signalled by the fact the now 34-year-old defender would put pen to paper on a new contract lasting until 2025 just last year.
That could well be an extension the powers that be at Roma rue signing off on now, considering Smalling's frequent place in the treatment room at the Italian club this season.
Still, at the peak of his powers in Italy, Smalling was a man possessed.
The veteran centre-back would score three goals during his debut season, helping himself further to 3.2 aerial duels won per game on average to show Man United what they were missing out on by cashing in.
Football journalist Andy Mitten would describe Smalling as "consistently brilliant" during the infancy of his Roma career, £18m well spent from their perspective.
Even this campaign, when regular starts haven't been forthcoming due to injury concerns, Smalling has managed to be a calm and reliable head at the back for the Serie A club – Smalling coming in at an 87% passing accuracy when playing out from the back from the six appearances he has made. For context, Evans completes 86.7% of his passes.
Yet, there's an obvious elephant in the room that has seen the former Man United's man transfer value take a considerable tumble in his Stadio Olimpico surroundings.
Chris Smalling's transfer value in 2024
Smalling's worth now sits at €4.4m (£3.7m) – according to Football Transfers – which shows a remarkable decline of over £14m regardless of his noted heroics in Rome.
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It proves that Man United were correct offloading their ex-number 12 when they did, even if, theoretically, he could still be a useful utility figure to have around at the Theatre of Dreams currently when fit.
Smalling's current decreased value would see him come in as the third cheapest player on the books if back at Old Trafford, with back-up Red Devils goalkeeper Altay Bayındır even boasting a superior worth at €5.5m (£4.7m) despite making just one appearance to date for his new employers.
The Englishman's lesser worth is also exposed when you view the 34-year-old against one of his fresher Roma defensive teammates in Evan Ndicka – who is ten years younger than Smalling – having a staggering worth of €41.6m (£35.6m) already as a top asset.
1. Tom Heaton
€90K (£77k)
2. Jonny Evans
€1.4M (£1.1m)
3. Altay Bayindir
€5.5M (£4.7m)
4. Amad Diallo
€6.1M (£5.2m)
5. Anthony Martial
€10.8M (£9.2m)
Smalling isn't really missed at Old Trafford either when you consider how valiant Evans has been when taking on first-team duties as a seasoned professional of late, the ageing centre-back worth just €1.4m (£1.1m) but continues to put in brave displays as a stand-in option.
Before picking up his own injury niggle – which ruled the Northern Irishman out of Man United's FA Cup clash with Liverpool – Evans' dogged display at the back in the Premier League against Everton ensured a 2-0 win was sealed – the 36-year-old blocking four efforts on the United net when the Toffees ventured forward.
Man United will hope Evans isn't a long-term casualty like that of Shaw, whilst Smalling will keep his fingers crossed that he can become a key first-teamer again after making just three appearances in an injury-ravaged 2024 so far.
Regardless, the Premier League titans hold no regret on their end anymore about the manner in which Smalling left with the Red Devils simply making profit at the best possible time looking with hindsight.