Mohamed Salah did not go to the World Cup and Trent Alexander-Arnold might as well not have bothered.
Half an hour against a beaten Wales was the sum total of Alexander-Arnold's Qatari exertions, such is Gareth Southgate's slightly bizarre blind spot when it comes to the international career of a player regarded as world-class by Jurgen Klopp and other fine judges.
But at least Alexander-Arnold got a four-week sunshine holiday, with a little bit of light training to keep him ticking over. He came into this match almost as rested as Salah, whose Egypt did not qualify for Qatar 2022.
