Of all the clues that suggest Liverpool have been taking a more long-term view in recent months, the decision to bring forward Thiago Alcantara's surgery was one of the most telling.
A hip injury, picked up toward the start of the year, left Thiago sidelined for two months between early February and April as he missed 10 games in total before returning as a second-half substitute in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Easter Sunday.
In truth, however, Thiago's campaign was virtually curtailed after his last start, which came in a 3-0 defeat at Wolves on February 4. His return consisted of four substitute appearances that lasted a total of 96 minutes before the decision was taken to undergo surgery to correct what had become a long-standing complaint.
