The New Saints' Leo Smith did not initially fear the worst when he went down injured in a Champions League qualifier nearly 12 months ago.
The midfielder suffered the injury just before half-time in his side's game against Shkendija in July 2025 and had to be taken off on a stretcher.
As it turned out, that marked the start of a long spell on the sidelines.
"As it happened, it was a strange feeling," Smith told BBC Sport Wales.
"I couldn't really straighten my leg, and I thought it could have been something like a nerve down my hamstring.