When Thiago went down injured in the warm-up before the Carabao Cup final, we got confirmation of something many have suspected.
It was Harvey Elliott, rather than Curtis Jones, who took the vacant spot on the bench as Naby Keita stepped into the starting XI - a further indication that the former Fulham man has overtaken his colleague in the midfield pecking order.
Jones had featured in four of the previous five games in the competition during Elliott's long injury lay-off, only missing the quarter-final against Leicester City after struggling with injury and illness himself ahead of the December meeting, but his omission from the squad for the final may well worry the 21-year-old.
