On the sidelines, Liverpool fans were greeted to a flash from the very brief past midweek against Norwich City when Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak embraced one another with warm smiles.
But that was all the action Phillips got in the League Cup, with Joe Gomez and new signing Ibrahima Konaté playing the full 90 minutes and Jürgen Klopp deciding to keep his fifth choice centre-back on the bench.
The lack of minutes has been a concerning trend for Phillips so far this season with the 24-year-old yet to make a competitive appearance.
And as Joël Matip, Joe Gomez and Virgil Van Dijk continue their recovery unscathed from any new setbacks, the trend could continue throughout the whole campaign.
Come the next round of the competition against Preston, a place on the bench, as it stands, will remain the best-case scenario for last season's hero.
Phillips was impervious last year, and Liverpool awarded the Bolton academy product a new contract towards the end of the summer, despite reported interest from abroad and from Premier League sides.
On paper, the decision was a smart one. Given the injury record of Liverpool's first four centre-back options, having someone as competent as Phillips around is a major benefit to the squad.
However, Liverpool and Phillips must ask themselves a difficult question in the coming months if he continues to be exiled on the sidelines.
From Phillips' perspective, at 24 years old, he is no longer a youngster who should be content with a role as fifth choice. He needs regular game time in order to develop and hone his skills.
From Liverpool's point of view, the longer Phillips spends languishing in the club's squad with limited game time, the more his value depletes in the market which is a scenario they will want to avoid.
Liverpool's transfer policy of selling to buy means having someone of Phillips' ilk and value in the squad is a luxury they could certainly spare — especially with a pressing need to address other areas of the pitch in the market.
With the emergence of Sepp van den Berg at Preston and Billy Koumetio being highly rated in the club's academy ranks, Liverpool have other capable candidates that could fill the fifth centre-back slot.
With a new contract, and memories of his valiant performances fresh in the memory, Liverpool still have time to make a hefty profit on Phillips. But the clock is ticking, and his value will only remain for a limited time.
Liverpool should be looking to sell in January. It's the best-case scenario for both parties.