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Liverpool attempted to sign Marc Guehi on transfer deadline day. But when that deal fell through, the Reds could still comfort themselves with the knowledge that they had a solid stable of four center-backs, led by Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
That number has now dropped to three. Giovanni Leoni is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after a serious knee injury suffered against Southampton.
Three proved to be the not-so-magic number in 2020/21, when all of the senior center-backs ended up sidelined by January, leaving Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips to pick up the strain. With the fixture calendar more congested than ever, Arne Slot will now be hoping that Van Dijk and Joe Gomez can avoid repeating personal history, alongside Konate.
Of course, the circumstances are not exactly the same. Leoni's freak injury is the same kind of one-off event that happened to Van Dijk against Everton in 2020 — but while that incident took Jurgen Klopp down to two center-backs, Slot has three options even after the injury on this occasion.
He also has some respectable emergency options at his disposal. Whereas Klopp's deployment of Jordan Henderson at the back was a complete novelty, Slot has already handed minutes there to both Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch in the past.
Hopefully, that does not need to become a regular sight during this campaign. But for now, at least, things still look just about manageable, especially with the best defender in the world still fit and firing.
Alongside the captain, Konate has grown in stature to also become one of the best in the league. But Liverpool's worries regarding the Frenchman extend beyond the current campaign, with contract talks still not resolved.
As things stand, Konate will be a free agent at the end of the season. Speculation persists that he could go to Real Madrid, following the path set out by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
According to The Athletic, contract talks have proved "problematic". That's despite Richard Hughes opening discussions almost a year ago.
Liverpool is continuing its efforts to agree a new deal. But following the pattern of the Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah sagas last season, these attempts are unlikely to play out in the public domain, with the club keeping its cards close to its chest.
That hasn't stopped Konate from speaking out on more than one occasion. But his interventions are usually too cryptic to tell us much.
At the very least, it seems that Konate has not yet given his word to Real Madrid (who cannot formally make an approach until January). But there is a recognition that the clock is ticking.
Having said that, Liverpool will be comfortable with the position from which it is negotiating. Guehi, an England international, had his heart set on Anfield in the summer — and even if that particular move cannot be revived, it goes to show that there will be no shortage of recruitment options.
Meanwhile, Leoni's setback will not last forever. Cruelly, the Italian teenager had looked excellent on his debut before suffering his injury.
And that's not to mention Gomez, a 10-year veteran of the club who was once a critical part of a title-winning side. Chances have been limited in recent years, but his qualities should certainly not be written off.
So one way or another, Liverpool's back line will be just fine. There's no doubting that everyone would prefer Konate to sign a new deal, but the bigger concern at Anfield will be making sure it can navigate the current campaign without a defensive crisis.
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