It lasted about eight minutes.

Virgil van Dijk's injury in last October's Merseyside derby at Goodison Park wasn't just a blow for the player himself, we all know that by now, but it also affected his teammates.

It tends to be forgotten now, but Liverpool had started that game absolutely brilliantly.

They were a goal up inside three minutes through Sadio Mane, and they pinned their neighbours back with football that was being played at a frantic pace.

The Reds' midfield that day was Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara, with the latter making his first start after getting 45 minutes in the 2-0 win at Chelsea, but with Van Dijk off then they had to alter the way that they played in order to protect a new defence.

Then when Thiago was injured by Richarlison's challenge in the game's closing moments, the hopes of seeing that midfield again were dashed.

Thiago was injured in the October draw at Everton
Thiago was injured in the October draw at Everton

The Spanish international was out for two-and-a-half months, and when he returned his midfield partners that day at Goodison Park were being used as centre-backs, such was the extent of the injury crisis at the back.

But while it might belong in a parallel universe for now, the thought of what could have happened if the Reds were able to choose that midfield for the majority of last season might eventually get an answer, albeit a campaign late.

With the club happy to allow Gini Wijnaldum to run down his contract - however you perceive that decision - then it is safe to assume that we'd have seen the Dutchman less and less across the course of the last campaign if only for the fact that he was needed.

Henderson was injured against Everton in February, but he was still playing in defence then, and so again the picture changes had he been fit.

So with Wijnaldum now gone, the conversation has immediately turned to who his replacement will be, suggesting that whoever it is will represent something of a like-for-like swap.

But this isn't taking into account the fact that Wijnaldum probably wasn't in what Klopp would term his best midfield last season.

Klopp could now use Thiago in a more advanced midfield position
Klopp could now use Thiago in a more advanced midfield position

Injuries permitting, and with Liverpool having already added one centre-back to boost their ranks in Ibrahima Konate, we could see be about to see that Fabinho-Henderson-Thiago axis more often, with the Spaniard pushed up a little higher than he has so far been allowed to do.

That is an enticing prospect, and raises questions about what type of midfielder the Reds should be looking to add to 'replace Wijnaldum' in the coming campaign.

The Dutchman is a lot of things to a lot of people, including a goalscorer for his country, but Liverpool his chief job was to carry the ball, moving it quickly and managing to resist the press Liverpool would come under.

It could be that Klopp wants a player that can do some if not all of these things, with the Germany international Florian Neuhaus looking to be an interesting proposition and a player who chips in with goals.

He would seem to be the current priority for the position, but instead of a Wijnaldum replacement he could perhaps be seen as more of a Henderson understudy, especially with another year in James Milner's legs.

Should Neuhaus sign then Liverpool would be getting a promising midfielder, but don't be surprised if he isn't immediately placed into the team.

Klopp is sure to want to give his first-choice trio more than eight minutes at full throttle.