Liverpool are facing an anxious wait to discover the extent of a knee injury suffered by Diogo Jota in the Champions League clash with FC Midtjylland, with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp in the firing line for his team selection.
The Liverpool manager decided to go with a stronger team than many anticipated against the Danish outfit, despite the Reds having already topped Group D ahead of that match taking place.
A largely uneventful 1-1 draw played out at the MCH Arena, with by far the biggest talking point from that match now a possible spell without Jota, who has made a flying start to his Liverpool career.
The reaction from many upon the news of Jota's knee problem was that Klopp should never have taken the risk with the forward, and is now being made to pay for that decision.
But that represents far from the full story.
Had Klopp fielded an entire reserve team, leaving out the likes of Mohamed Salah, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, then it could have been detrimental to the young player's confidence long-term had they been handed a heavy beating.
Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup last season was a steep learning curve, to say the least, for those present for that 5-0 drubbing, but that was out of necessity rather than choice.
Then there is the issue of squad management and keeping players physically ticking over, making sure as many players as possible are as sharp as possible for a big week of action in the Premier League.
After facing Fulham on Sunday, Liverpool host table-topping Tottenham on Wednesday and then have Crystal Palace next weekend at Selhurst Park.
Jota, having played less than 20 minutes against Wolves last weekend and only 68 minutes against Ajax in the Champions League the Tuesday before that, would have played under 90 minutes of football in the space of a fortnight had he not played in Denmark.
The word 'rhythm' is a favourite of Klopp's, and no doubt that is what he had in mind when choosing Jota for a game that mattered little.
Not playing him in the Champions League having also not fielded him much in either of the previous matches, and then throwing him into an intense week of action would have been a greater risk injury-wise.
That will, of course, be of little consolation to Jota and Liverpool fans now should his setback keep him out of more than one game, but the logic in the decision is clear.
There is a reason why the likes of Leighton Clarkson and Billy Koumetio featured for the Reds in Midtjylland, but equally there is a reason why Jota and other senior stars were also there.
Jota, too, it must be pointed out, could easily have picked up a similar injury in training, as many footballing stars have done in the past.
Liverpool fans, like Klopp, are more than entitled to be frustrated by this latest injury setback. But the blame does not lie at the German's door for an untimely absence of the Portuguese.
