Liverpool youngster Trey Nyoni is expected to be in contention for their FA Cup tie against Accrington Stanley, with Arne Slot also asked on Rio Ngumoha.
Though it remains to be seen how Slot will approach Saturday’s third-round clash with the sixth-worst side in League Two, the likelihood is that he will make changes.
Squad players such as Harvey Elliott, Caoimhin Kelleher, Jarell Quansah and Wataru Endo can be expected to start, but there could also be opportunities for the club’s most talented youngsters.
Chief among those is Nyoni, the 17-year-old midfielder who has already made the squad on eight occasions this season and featured twice, starting against Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
In his pre-match press conference, Slot was specifically asked about Nyoni’s chances along with that of 16-year-old winger Ngumoha.
“We still have to train,” he replied.
“Yesterday we couldn’t, because our flight going back from London arrived quite late here. So we gave them, as a result of that, a day off.
“We have to wait and see how everybody is recovered today. Then we have to make a decision which players we’re going to bring to the game.
“Trey has been in the squad many times already, Rio only once, Southampton away I think, but these players are doing really well when they train with us, doing really well when they play with the U21s.
“So as long as they keep doing that, their chances of getting their moment in the first team will increase of course.”
Slot is mistaken there, with Ngumoha yet to even debut for the U21s, his game time so far since joining from Chelsea coming with eight appearances for the U18s and five for the U19s in the UEFA Youth League.
The teenager was, however, on the bench for that cup win at Southampton as well as training with the first team on a regular basis, with it likely that he will be fast-tracked.
Whether that results in any involvement against Accrington Stanley remains to be seen, particularly as Slot laid out the difficulty he is already facing in affording seniors such as Elliott and Federico Chiesa the minutes they need.
• READ: Federico Chiesa given “wait and see” verdict as Slot explains challenge
“It’s not only been difficult for him in terms of match fitness, it’s also that he has to compete with the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Mo Salah,” Slot said of Chiesa.
“Everybody here knows the numbers Mo Salah brings in. There’s not many times a reason to take him out during a game or before a game.
“It’s not only about Federico when we are talking about him being limited in his playing time. It’s also about the others.”
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