The only hope of salvaging a respectable place in their last 14 games is the latest attempted return of the one player at their disposal who can turn defeats to draws, draws to victories, but it is a slim hope Daniel Sturridge will feature in the majority of games between now and May. It’s rather like waiting for Superman to come to the rescue, only to realise he is incapable of getting out of the phone box.

Sturridge is due to train with the rest of the team on Wednesday, but discussing the prolonged absenteeism of the England striker often feels like ballet dancing on eggshells.

Each update seems so carefully worded, as if a room of Harvard professors have convened to ensure each full-stop is in the right place for fear of misinterpretation or litigation.