Perhaps unsurprisingly, Salah does not need so much an arm on the shoulder as a reminder that the next winning contribution is never far away.

“We don’t have a lot of experience with Mo dealing with a crisis or whatever because he doesn’t have them,” said Klopp.

“With a penalty it usually makes it easier to score. It just didn’t happen in that game. It is tough, especially when the rebound hits the crossbar. That is just unlucky.

“Mo and Sadio are top class players who deal constantly with failure. That is our life. In the best games the boys have played, some things did not work out and they had to deal with it during the game. That is what you learn pretty early as a footballer. None of us have succeeded in every one of our difficult situations.”

Another ‘difficult situation’ beckons.  As well as the three players ruled out with covid – as yet unnamed by the club – Liverpool will be without Thiago Alcantara, who has a hip problem, and the suspended Andrew Robertson.

Klopp is never one to play down the significance of a fixture, and Sunday’s looks particularly consequential in light of recent events. Should the game go ahead – Liverpool were awaiting further covid tests on Saturday –  another failure for either side may prematurely write-off title hopes. That will feel rough for two teams going into the fixture having only lost two games apiece so far.

 For Klopp, the question in such circumstances is not only what Liverpool or Chelsea could have done better, but what City are doing to reset the standards required to be title winners.

“If we are on top of our game it is difficult to deal with,” he said. “If Chelsea are on top of their game it is difficult to deal with. If City are on top of theirs it is difficult to deal with.”

And while Liverpool’s manager was more downbeat than usual at Friday’s press briefing, there was also defiance and a call for perspective.

“I know how we felt and I can tell you the day after the (Leicester) game I still felt the defeat,” said Klopp.

“That’s not bad, it’s not something you want to have but it just shows us we don’t want to get used to it. We are not used to it. You want to show a reaction, together with your teammates and that’s exactly what we will try. You cannot win the league properly in the winter. It’s unlikely. Now let’s just give it a go and let’s play on.”