Liverpool spent the entire first half of the season knowing that come January, they would be without Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, along with Naby Keita, due to the Africa Cup of Nations.
As a result, it was supposed to be the month Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi showed their worth to the Reds, with the duo set to be given a rare stage to shine on alongside Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino.
Alas, that is not how events unfolded. The Belgian would miss the entire month through injury while the Japan international would miss the start of January with a setback of his own and start just twice in the absence of the African duo.
