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Jurgen Klopp gave eight academy stars the chance to impress during training this week as the Liverpool manager tries to resolve his ongoing injury crisis.
Premier defensive duo Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez face long spells on the sidelines after getting injured, while versatile midfielder Fabinho continues on his road to recovery.
And the Reds suffered another heavy blow ahead of their close Premier League clash with Leicester this weekend, following news that Mo Salah returned a third positive coronavirus test while on duty with the ‘Egypt.
The Liverpool forward now faces a race to be ready for the Champions League group game with Atalanta next week and could also be in doubt for the trip to Brighton the following Saturday.
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
The majority of Klopp’s squad are in international duty, which has given the manager a closer look at the emerging stars of the academy.
Liverpool’s first team trained for the first time at their state-of-the-art £ 50million AXA training facility this week and there were plenty of unfamiliar faces.
Among the young group were young goalkeepers Vitezslav Jaros, Marcelo Pitaluga and Jakub Ojrzynski.
Along with Rhys Williams, who stepped in to replace Van Dijk this season, believed to have taken a hit while stationed in England U21, 18-year-old defender Billy Koumetio also had the chance to impress Klopp.
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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It was an extremely interesting start to the season for Jurgen Klopp’s men.
They started their title defense off to a shaky start as they edged out a seven-goal thriller against Leeds, before conceding seven in a pounding by Aston Villa.
Virgil van Dijk’s season ended with injury in the 2-2 draw at Everton, leaving the title favorites looking much less secure at the back – especially with Alisson’s injury worries as well.
But there is no slowing down in what is going to be a busy campaign – Klopp making sure his men continue at full speed as they bid for more title glory.
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Midfielder duo Jake Cain and Leighton Clarkson – both highly rated at Anfield – have also worked with first-team stars, including James Milner.
And attacking duo Paul Glatzel and Luis Longstaff, who can sense an opportunity during Salah’s absence, rounded out the group of eight youngsters.
Klopp is certainly facing a selection headache ahead of Leicester’s clash, after Gomez suffered a potentially serious injury in England.
The center-back is expected to join Van Dijk and Fabinho on the sidelines, leaving manager Klopp with a huge shortage at the back.
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
The Reds are also without right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold for the next few weeks with a calf injury leaving Andy Robertson as the only member of Klopp’s first-choice four-backs available for action.
Neco Williams is expected to replace Alexander-Arnold, with Joel Matip becoming the most senior center-back.
Nathaniel Phillips, returning from loan at Stuttgart last season, is next after staying at the club over the summer.
He is likely to team up with Matip in the Premier League with Andy Robertson at left-back.
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