Liverpool and Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara was a last-minute withdrawal from the Carabao Cup final, and the former Bayern Munich man broke down in tears as his Reds teammates prepared to get underway at Wembley.
Thiago has been troubled by injury for much of his time at Anfield, but has found some form and consistency at times and was part of the team which demolished Leeds United in their last Premier League outing.
The 30-year-old was initially named in a midfield trio alongside Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, but was replaced in the line-up by Naby Keita with kick-off just moments away.
And, as Liverpool and opponents Chelsea prepared to get the game underway, it was clear to see how much the setback meant to the midfielder as he was consoled by goalkeeper Alisson.
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Thiago has been restricted to just 30 Premier League starts since joining Liverpool in 2020, with his first injury coming against Everton in his first ever Premier League start.
The Barcelona academy graduate scored his first Champions League goal for the club earlier this season in a victory over Porto, and was preparing to make his first ever Carabao Cup appearance before injury struck.
He had been involved in the Reds' recent league victories over Leeds and Norwich City, as well as starting at the San Siro as Jurgen Klopp's side took a first-leg lead against Inter Milan.
Thiago had returned from a hip injury in early February, while he has also missed matches this season and last with calf and knee problems.
Back in January, Klopp was forced to rubbish claims the midfielder would miss the remainder of the season, saying "No. Neither March nor end of season is in my mind."
However, Thiago did sit out both legs of Liverpool's Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal, with the Merseyside club drawing their home leg and winning 2-0 in north London.
Stand-in midfielder Keita has struggled with injury issues of his own since joining Liverpool from the Bundesliga back in 2018, though the Guinean has been available more regular this season than in the past.
Keita was ruled out through ankle and hamstring problems at various points last term, while he also picked up an injury in the autumn during Liverpool's draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.
With Keita stepping into the starting XI, Harvey Elliott took a spot on the Liverpool bench for the Wembley showpiece.
The former Fulham midfielder has himself only recently returned from injury, spending four months on the sidelines after dislocating his ankle in a September victory over Leeds United but returning with a goal as Liverpool beat Cardiff in the FA Cup.
Klopp described Elliott's return at the start of the month as a "fairytale", saying: "I know what an incredible talent he is and an incredible kid he is. When we lost him at Leeds (to injury), it was one of the hardest moments of my career."
