Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino was not the only man in attendance for the Leicester match despite not being fit to play. Darwin Núñez had also made the trip.
The overriding image of Liverpool’s 3-0 victory at Leicester City was not Curtis Jones scoring two goals — one almost identical to the one he netted against Spurs at the end of April — nor Trent Alexander-Arnold’s rocket into the top corner from a free-kick.
Instead, it was of Roberto Firmino being serenaded by the traveling Liverpool supporters in the away end — complete with a massive grin on the face of the forward — despite the Brazilian not being able to get on the pitch.
Firmino, who has been injured and not spotted since playing eight minutes in the 6-1 win at Leeds United, should return to team training today but had asked to go with the squad and attend the match regardless.
With only two more games left in his Liverpool career after that one, it was perhaps no surprise. Firmino will have to savor every moment before his departure, with his next club unlikely to provide such emotional support.
Firmino, though, was not the only injured striker to make the trip despite not being able to take part. Darwin Núñez, who arrived from Benfica for an initial fee of $80m (£64m/€74m) last summer, was also in attendance, despite having picked up a minor toe injury that is not expected to keep him out of Liverpool’s final two fixtures this season.
Núñez, who Jürgen Klopp has urged in recent weeks to continue to learn English and increase his ability to communicate with his teammates, has had tough times during periods of this season, but is heading on the right path.
For starters, 15 goals and four assists this season in a struggling side is an excellent point from which to improve — and the player himself has already spoken about wanting to kick on during his second campaign, which he did at his previous club.
“Obviously, I still have many things to work on, for example, my finishing,” Núñez told Sky Sports earlier this year. “But I think the same thing is happening to me as happened to Luis Suárez. In his second year, he tore it up.
“Something similar happened to me already at Benfica. The first year went very badly for me and in the second, I exploded. Here, I think the same thing is happening. I hope next season will be like that. I’ll put my best forward and hopefully I’ll get a bit of luck.”
With the form of Cody Gakpo — and the extent to which he is a completely different stylistic fit in the Liverpool attack — there is a question mark over how exactly Núñez is used long-term and where he fits in.
But the Uruguayan could easily ignite next year and might yet add more goals to his 15-strong haul; a decent return for his opening campaign in a new country.
His clear eagerness to be a big part of the team even when he was unable to contribute on the pitch is the latest sign that any problems adapting are being worked on in a bid to improve.
Diogo Jota and Luis Díaz’s returns may have complicated the attacking picture for Núñez, but that level of competition (even when Firmino leaves) is exactly what Liverpool wants and needs.
With each attacker fully fit and firing — when Núñez returns from his knock and Díaz is back at full tilt — the increased competition can only breed success. For Núñez, too, it should continue to drive him on to deliver on his goalscoring promise.
