On a deeply frustrating night of World Cup action for Liverpool's representation on Friday, there is at least a silver lining to be found for Jurgen Klopp.
After watching Alisson Becker and Fabinho tumble out of the Qatar tournament following a penalty-shootout defeat to Croatia in the day's early game, Klopp then saw Virgil van Dijk suffer a similar fate against Argentina in what was, despite paucity of quality for large parts, a modern classic at the Lusail Stadium.
After two late goals from Wout Weghorst had taken the game to extra time, Netherlands captain Van Dijk missed the first spot kick as Louis van Gaal's side were beaten by Lionel Messi and company to bring an end to the Liverpool star's first experience of a major international tournament in a desperately disappointing fashion.
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The exits of Brazil and Holland whittles down the number of Reds' representatives in Doha to just three now with Ibrahima Konate and his French compatriots set to meet Jordan Henderson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and the rest of England's free-scoring and in-form squad on Saturday night at the Al Bayt Stadium.
Van Dijk, Alisson and Fabinho will now be afforded a week off to rest up after a run of five games in less than three weeks and the trio won't be involved when the Reds meet AC Milan in the second of their Dubai Super Cup exhibition games on December 16.
Klopp, though, has revealed that those who suffered elimination on Friday should be ready for the return of domestic action later this month, telling Liverpoolfc.com: "So, the players who are not at the World Cup, it's no problem. They have some days off and then they come back and we train again and then we play again. This was never the problem.
"The problem is what are you doing with the players who are at the World Cup, especially long at the World Cup. So, everybody will have a week off, I would say, after a game. That means it will go into the season, so we will see.
"Friday is a big night for Liverpool – you can go through and then I think they play, for sure, another two games and that means they are long at the World Cup. Who goes out [on Friday] will probably be ready for the start of the season, these kind of things. So you never know."
While the pain of World Cup exit will sting Fabinho, Alisson and Van Dijk for some time yet, their Doha departures do at least rule out the prospect of them missing out on Liverpool's Boxing Day trip to Aston Villa.
With Klopp's side facing an uphill battle to fight their way into the top four again, the German will need all hands on deck when the domestic fixtures return, so having three of his most trusted defensive lieutenants will be a major fillip.
Klopp added: "But then you have to see because the World Cup is different for all the players as well. Virg played then hopefully all the games, Ibou a little bit, Hendo a lot, Trent not that much, these kinds of things, and Fabinho played a game, Alisson all the games.
"So it's different and difficult to really deal with it but that's what we have to see when the boys are coming back. We have to talk to them and then we will see and we have to assess pretty much everything. And from there we go.
"But the challenge is that you play and have the first competitive game four days after the final – but we know it now long enough and that's all fine. So we have a group here together and this is the group we will go [with] in the first game. And then from there we will see who is available and who is ready."
What is providing an intriguing subplot is the looming Carabao Cup trip to Manchester City on December 22. Given the identity of the opponent and the fact it will be the Reds' first game since the win over Southampton on November 12, Klopp might just be minded to select a stronger line-up than he normally would for that competition, particularly given the opportunity to knock out the team who have won the League Cup six times since 2014.
In a competition that has already seen Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham dumped by the wayside, the reward of sending City out too must be a serious temptation to go strong in Manchester on the night.
Maybe, however, Klopp's eyes will be fixed on the long game? With a seven-point deficit to Tottenham, who occupy the final Champions League spot, the manager has bigger fish to fry than the defence of the League Cup trophy they lifted for a record ninth time in February. It's a tricky balancing act for the man tasked with team selection.
For now, though, Liverpool's mid-season training camp in Dubai goes on. Training will again take place at the Nad al Sheba Complex on Saturday as the players gear up for the first of those two games against Lyon at the Al Maktoum Stadium on Sunday evening.
"The training looks really good [in Dubai]," Klopp said. "It's high-intense, we have long sessions and use each minute to get in the best possible shape, because we know we have a very intense second part of the season ahead of us. I'm really looking forward to it. In the first part of the season, a lot of things were really difficult. But in the end, we came kind of [within] touching distance, punching distance – whatever you want to call it – and that's the basis we want to use now."
If Liverpool do have a puncher's chance - to use Klopp's analogy - of reaching the top four this season, the impending returns of Alisson, Fabinho and Van Dijk will come at an ideal time in that fight.
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