Liverpool’s second-youngest debutant Rio Ngumoha was part of first-team training ahead of the Champions League clash at PSV, but the 16-year-old is not eligible to play.
Ngumoha has been involved in several first-team training sessions so far this season and was again at the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday before the squad jetted off to the Netherlands.
But the 16-year-old, who made his debut against Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup, was not named in 21-man squad for Wednesday’s game as he is ineligible to feature.
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Liverpool would have been required to register Ngumoha as part of List A for the competition as he did not meet the criteria for List B.
An unlimited number of players born on or after January 1, 2003 can be named on List B for the Champions League as late as the night before any fixture, but must have been at the club for an uninterrupted period of two years.
And with Ngumoha having only joined Liverpool from Chelsea in September of this year, he would instead have needed to take a spot in the 25-man senior squad (List A).
Both Trey Nyoni, 17, and Amara Nallo, 18, were registered on List A for the same reason, with the pair having signed from Leicester and West Ham respectively in 2023.
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They are both in the squad to face PSV on Wednesday and will be in contention to feature after Arne Slot left nine senior players on Merseyside.
Liverpool could, in theory, add Ngumoha to their Champions League squad when the registration window opens for the knockout stages later in the season, with only 24 players currently on List A.
But more realistically the youngster will not be required either way, as though he often trains with the senior squad he is still considered a player for the academy.
Ngumoha has made the majority of his appearances this season for Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s U18s, but he has also played a role in the UEFA Youth League campaign and recently debuted for the U21s.
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