Thiago Alcantara may be forgiven for feeling a sense of deja vu at Liverpool just now.
It was a little over 12 months ago when an injury - sustained in that now infamous 2-2 draw with Everton - left him sidelined for close to three months.
It disrupted the adaptation period under Jurgen Klopp and forced him to kick his heels until late December when the wheels had already started coming off for an injury-hit squad.
A year on from that convalescence and the Spain international once more finds himself out with another fitness issue and he is trying to get back fit as quickly as possible.
This time, the vague setback - believed to be a calf problem - has left him on the shelf for six weeks.
A comeback is, according to his manager, imminent, but the former Bayern Munich man hasn't kicked a ball in a Liverpool shirt since hobbling off in that 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on September 18.
At a time when the rest of Klopp's midfield have been dropping like flies, it will be a great source of frustration to the classy Thiago that has not been able to stake his claim.
It's no exaggeration to say that Liverpool are still awaiting to see his metronome passing at top speed.
One of the most decorated players of the 2010s, the former Bayern and Barcelona man was brought to Anfield with a glittering array of honours already stashed into his personal trophy cabinet.
It's fair to say that Liverpool are yet to see the kind of form that made Thiago integral to the Bayern side that won a treble that included the Champions League in 2020.
Some sumptuous performances were on display towards the back end of last season as they went 10 games unbeaten, but Thiago is still waiting to establish his world-class pedigree over a prolonged period.
Perhaps the next few weeks offer him the ideal opportunity to begin to do just that then?
Klopp hinted that the 30-year-old could be fit for a return against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
"Thiago was in team training for the first time [on Thursday]," he said.
"We did a session where he could be part of pretty much the whole session, but that doesn't mean he is ready to play a football game, unfortunately.
"We will see what we do with him, but he is closer than he was last week - much closer. Now we have to see what we do with that."
But given the calibre of the opposition and the lack of football played lately, the Reds boss may err on the side of caution, even though his options are becoming increasingly bare.
So while Thiago may see himself given the nod for a return to the squad against Atleti, Curtis Jones, Jordan Henderson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remain in the box seat for the Group B game - even if none of that trio covered themselves in too much glory after half an hour against Brighton.
Naby Keita, just as he was flickering into life this season, is now hamstrung and Klopp's Fabinho update on Friday was typically cryptic when he talked about the Brazilian's knee injury being "complicated, but not that complicated" ahead of Saturday's draw with the Seagulls.
Klopp expects it to be after the international break when fans will begin to see the best of Thiago, indicating that while he may return to the squad this week, a "block of proper, proper training" will be needed in the next fortnight.
"The plan is [Thiago] now has a block of days for proper, proper training on the pitch, with the ball, and with the team, plus extra training [on top of that.]," he said on Friday afternoon.
Whether he will get the chance to do that, though, is not yet clear.
Luis Enrique is set to name his Spain squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers with Greece and Sweden and could wish to see the Liverpool man in there, regardless of his lack of activity of late.
Klopp said he has yet to speak to his player about those particular plans, even if he doesn't expect Thiago to be called up
"No I don't expect him to [go with Spain], but that doesn’t mean anything," he said.
"I have no idea. He was injured the whole time, he was not with them last time, I don't know if they are in talks."
With Roberto Firmino's hat-trick at Watford evidence of how he benefited from remaining on Merseyside during the most recent break, Klopp will be keen to see Thiago also stay put at the AXA Centre ahead of that mid-November run through to the end of the calendar year.
During that time, the Reds play 12 games and Klopp will need all hands on deck, particularly in his midfield where rotation and resting is most common.
Quietly, then, it's a big couple of weeks for Thiago.
