Three games later, Thiago suffered one of the two season-changing Liverpool injuries in the Merseyside derby (with Virgil van Dijk). He did not play again for three months. When he made his comeback, all the defensive midfielders were emergency centre-backs, and it was obvious that scurrying after attackers and making last-ditch tackles on the edge of his own penalty area are not Thiago’s fortes. It is no surprise he has flourished in a balanced Liverpool team.

It will not have escaped the attention of Klopp and his analysts that Liverpool have never lost a game when Fabinho and Thiago have started together. Regrettably, the sample size is small, limited to just 17 matches (16 wins). Those fixtures include Liverpool’s late run into the Champions League places at the end of last season.

“He played pretty consistently in all the games,” Klopp said. “As I remember it, that was a pretty good spell as well.

“He is a very, very good player. There is no doubt about that. His skill set is insane. But it’s all about staying fit and that is what we’re working on together.”

As Liverpool prepare for one of the biggest weeks of their season – their attempt to reduce the gap to Manchester City to three points against Leeds United tonight is swiftly followed by the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday – Klopp hopes he can continue to rotate his squad to maximise Thiago’s availability and impact.

Thiago is not the only midfielder who has found another gear since Christmas. Of his 109 passes against Norwich, 106 of Henderson’s were successful, including that which so impressively facilitated Diaz’s first Liverpool goal.

The more Klopp can pick all of his senior midfielders in the business end of the season, the deeper the title race – and Liverpool’s interest in all competitions – will go.