Jurgen Klopp has lauded the qualities of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson and talked up the value that a fully fit Xherdan Shaqiri could off the Reds during their Premier League title defence.
Injury setbacks have become alarmingly common at Anfield this season, with key men forced onto the treatment table at regular intervals.
Defensive options have been decimated by untimely knocks, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all stuck on the sidelines.
Klopp has had to get creative in his team selections as a result, but one constant over recent weeks has been Brazil international Alisson.
He has also sat out six games in 2020-21, with hip and shoulder complaints, but has remained a reliable option for the Reds when able to line up between the sticks.
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His latest outing saw another clean sheet added to a remarkable collection of shutouts, with the South American’s reflexes helping to deny Manchester United in a goalless draw on Merseyside.
Klopp has told Liverpool’s official website of the stalemate with the Red Devils and the role his No.1 played in that: “It isn't the first time and won't be the last when if you don't use your early chances, it won't become easier in the game.
“They had two really big chances where we needed Ali. My god, what a goalie he is. Not a lot to do but then 'bam' 'bam' twice, it's really great.
“We had a really big one with Bobby [Firmino], I don't know exactly how that happened, how the ball did not go in.
“That is the situation at the moment. We just have to keep working and keep believing. We don't score enough goals at the moment.”
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Having gone three games without troubling the scorers, Liverpool are looking to mix things up in their search for an attacking spark.
Swiss playmaker Shaqiri was handed a first Premier League start in 13 months against United, with Klopp confident that the 29-year-old can play an important role now that he is over his fitness issues.
The Reds boss added: “Shaq is in a really good shape. Maybe he could have played a little bit longer but I was not sure.
“It had been a long time without playing [from the start] but he was really good, especially in the first half-an-hour. Shaq was really there and helped massively.
“There were a lot of really good individual performances. If you think of the last two games, this was a massive improvement and that's important. It was much more us if not completely us.”
Liverpool will be back in action on Thursday when they take on Burnley, with Klopp’s side looking to snap their way out of a four-match winless run in the English top-flight.