Normally, rubbing shoulders with Lionel Messi would only ever be construed as a positive.
But, for two Liverpool players, it was a sign of potential problems on the horizon - and why their frustrating three months out of action may actually prove of benefit.
At the start of the campaign, both Roberto Firmino and Alisson Becker were alongside Messi in the top six players from Europe's five leading leagues to have played the most amount of games for club and country in the previous two seasons.
Chelsea winger Willian led the way with 130 appearances, followed by Barcelona's Ivan Rakitic on 128 and Belgium international Eden Hazard with 124.
Firmino (123) and Alisson (121) then sandwiched Messi, who had made 122 appearances.
The fortunes of all six this season are hugely instructive.
Willian has remained a regular for Chelsea but will be let go by the club at the end of the season, while Rakitic, now 32, is being eased out of the Barcelona midfield and has made only 15 starts.
Hazard, since switching to Real Madrid from Stamford Bridge last summer, has made only 16 appearances.
And Messi missed the first month of the campaign with a foot injury and then suffered an adductor problem, but has been injury-free since October.
Which brings us to the two Liverpool players.
Less than 40 minutes into the new Premier League campaign, Alisson was forced off with a calf complaint.
Having previously missed only five games in his entire career due to injury, the goalkeeper was sidelined for two months. And, before the season was suspended in March, he was absent with a hip problem as Liverpool crashed out of both the FA Cup and the Champions League.
Firmino has avoided any injury niggles and started the season impressively, no doubt wanting to atone for the fitness concerns that dogged him in the closing weeks of the previous campaign.
But his season has been one of peaks and troughs, albeit with some very significant highs including the winner in the FIFA Club World Cup final triumph over Flamengo.
What both players needed above anything, though, was a break. And while it was not in the manner anyone would have wanted, Firmino and Alisson - who is back fit - are likely to profit more than most when the season resumes on Sunday.
Everton, you have been warned.
