It is in keeping with the story of Liverpool's season that the injury sustained by striker Hugo Ekitike in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal defeat to Paris Saint-Germain will not just disrupt this campaign, but scupper plans for next term, too.
When it rains, it pours for Liverpool at present, and the sight of top scorer Ekitike being stretchered off Tuesday night with a ruptured Achilles only served to heighten the sense of gloom that has pervaded every facet of the Reds' sorry Premier League title defense.
The 23-year-old has provided a rare cause for optimism since his initial £69 million move from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, but he now looks poised to spend at least nine months on the sidelines, which will derail his hopes of competing with France at the 2026 World Cup and of building on his impressive debut season at Anfield.