It hasn't been the best couple of weeks for Andy Robertson.
First the Liverpool defender scored just his third goal of the season to seal a final-day win over Wolverhampton Wanderers only for it to be greeted with muted applause as the Premier League title slid out of reach.
Then Robertson suffered heartache in Paris with Champions League final defeat, after which Real Madrid's Federico Valverde suggested it was more difficult to watch his son than mark the full-back.
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Even when the 28-year-old sought to cheer himself up with a few scoops on the coach during Liverpool's trophy parade the following day, he was criticised by some for not preparing properly for Scotland's World Cup play-off against Ukraine barely 72 hours later.
And then he skippered his country during a woeful team performance where hopes of qualification to Qatar were dashed with a 3-1 defeat at Hampden Park on Wednesday night.
However, Robertson's loss will, at least next season, be Liverpool's gain. While there is a quick turnaround to the start of the new term - the Reds' non-international players will return to training in the first week of July - that the World Cup takes place in the middle of the campaign offers a chance for those who haven't qualified to step away from competitive action for seven weeks.
Having played almost constant football since the return from the pandemic almost two years ago, Robertson will surely benefit from a temporary break, rejuvenated for when the domestic campaign resumes after the World Cup final, which takes place on Sunday, December 18.
And he won't be the only one, with a surprising number of Liverpool players either having not qualified for Qatar or, at least given the present situation, not expected to be involved with their country.
In defence, Kostas Tsimikas and Greece didn't qualify while Joel Matip has long retired from playing for Cameroon, who progressed to the finals. Joe Gomez hasn't featured for England in almost 18 months, Ibrahima Konate is still awaiting a first senior call-up for France and goalkeepers Caoimhin Kelleher and Adrian won't be at Qatar.
In midfield, Naby Keita will stay at home after Guinea missed out, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain hasn't played for England since November 2019, James Milner announced his international retirement almost six years ago and even Thiago Alcantara's place in the Spain squad is anything but guaranteed. Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones have made it as far as England under-21s while the incoming Fabio Carvalho is yet to represent either England or Portugal beyond the same level.
Up front, the main two World Cup absentees are Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz after the failure to qualify of Egypt and Colombia respectively. Roberto Firmino, meanwhile, hasn't been in a Brazil squad since last summer's Copa America final defeat to Argentina.
Liverpool will have played 23 games before the mid-season break - 16 Premier League games, a full Champions League group stage and a League Cup third round tie - not including the Community Shield and any friendlies including the two already confirmed in the Far East against Manchester United and Crystal Palace.
The Reds could quite easily have as few as seven players at the World Cup. By contrast, Manchester City may have approaching 20 with Chelsea's contingent almost certain to be in double figures. They won't all reach the latter stages, but they'll still be heavily involved for close to a month.
It's not what Robertson, Salah and company would have wanted. But for Jurgen Klopp, that so many key players will most likely be taken out of the firing line for almost two months will allow Liverpool to attack the second half of next season at full pelt.
