Liverpool's Champions League victory over FC Midtjylland saw the club's defensive injury crisis deepen with stand-in centre half Fabinho picking up a hamstring injury.
However the performance of 19-year-old defender Rhys Williams was a shining light amid the gloom for Jurgen Klop p.
With Virgil van Dijk expected to miss most if not all of the season due to his ACL knee injury and Joel Matip currently unavailable, Joe Gomez is now the only fit senior centre back on the books.
With Liverpool facing an intense schedule of Premier League and Champions League fixtures before the January transfer window opens, there are concerns how the Reds will cope and there have suggestions midfielders Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum - who have on very rare occasions have been pressed into service at the back - could be asked to do so again.
The impressive performance of Preston-born LFC Academy graduate Williams when he replaced Fabinho against the Danish champions did at least give some hope he will prove to be a viable option as Klopp looks to navigate his squad through this difficult period.
Having only made his first senior Liverpool appearances in the early rounds of this season's Carabao Cup against Lincoln City and Arsenal along with a very brief Champions League debut when subbed on in the closing stages of last week's win at Ajax, Williams looked assured against the Danes and barely put a foot wrong on a night when few of the senior stars around him shone.
It was clear many of his team-mates were impressed with the youngster's showing and several posted their admiration in the comments under Williams's post-match Instagram post, with a two-word nickname for him becoming a theme.
Williams posted saying, "Delighted To Make Another Champions League Appearance. Great Performance From The Boys, 3 Points And A Clean Sheet To Go With It".
Goalscorer Diogo Jota was among the first to reply saying "Big man," accompanied with a clapping emoji.
Andy Robertson followed suit saying, "Love it big man" while Xherdan Shaqiri commented: "Well done big lad."
Harvey Elliott, currently enjoying a bright start to his loan spell at Blackburn Rovers commented, "Yes big man" and Jordan Henderson, Curtis Jones and centre-back partner Joe Gomez all chimed in as well.
James Milner meanwhile mentioned Williams in his own Instagram post, saying: "Missed the twelfth man at times tonight, but most important thing was to get the 3 points. Great performance from @rhyswilliams4 when he came on."
Jurgen Klopp also praised Williams after the game, while expressing caution over the increased spotlight likely to fall upon the 19-year-old now.
"Rhys Williams did really well", Klopp said.
"The only problem we have now is unfortunately we have four days now until the West Ham game and you will make a story about him every day, and he has to prove he can handle that as well!
"He's a talent, he plays for England U20, he's 19 years old. He hasn't played Premier League yet but he has played two Champions League games, won both which is pretty exceptional. He did well, everything looks promising.
"Apart from Rhys, we still have Nat Phillips. We thought he might make a transfer to another club so he is not in the Champions League squad, which is strange, but he is a centre-half as well. Billy the Kid [Koumetio] I am not sure if he can train yet, but he will be back.
"We have very young, inexperienced alternatives, and in the moment it looks like we have to choose one of them. But to be really clear, Rhys was not our problem tonight. He played a really good game."
