Jamie Carragher fears Ryan Gravenberch may never recover from being dropped for 19-year-old Trey Nyoni, who makes his first Premier League start against Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday. Andoni Iraola has left the Netherlands international on the bench for the crunch clash, a decision Carragher believes will be "a mighty blow" for the experienced midfielder.
Iraola has made a bold call by handing Nyoni his first Premier League start in Sunday's huge clash, with Gravenberch left among the substitutes. The teenager has already made 20 appearances for Liverpool, 14 of them this season, and has started in the Champions League.
Gravenberch had returned for the win over Brighton after a one-game ban for his red card against Manchester City, and started alongside Nyoni in Wednesday's Carabao Cup win over Chelsea on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Alexis Mac Allister partners the youngster behind Florian Wirtz, while Dominik Szoboszlai is on the bench after injury.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: "The one thing that has stood out with the manager so far is he's not afraid to make big decisions. He dropped Gravenberch really early, after the first game of the season, away at Newcastle. He's left [Milos] Kerkez out, a player who he knows before as well. He's changed the wingers in and out at different times.
"What I would say is, I think we all go back to being a young player; the first time as a youngster when you're ever picked ahead of what you [think] is an established player. It's always difficult, I think, for the senior player to ever recover from that. Not that he can't come back, but Iraola's saying he's got more trust in a 19-year-old kid who's only getting better and his career is going one way. I think that will be a mighty blow for Gravenberch." Recalling his own breakthrough, he added: "I always remember it was Michael Thomas, central midfield, the manager Roy Evans putting me in."
Explaining his selection to Sky Sports, Iraola said: "It's not about me, it's about Trey. He has shown that he has the level. He has been very good on the ball for us, very good without the ball. He understands the game. Obviously it's a big challenge for him, but we trust him 100 per cent. He covers a lot of space and he's aggressive without the ball, he's calm in possession and he's good in communicating with his team-mates."
Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge agreed with the decision. He said: "I like it. I like it, man. I think Trey has been really good so far this season. Looks so comfortable in possession. Not shy to drop in between the defence. Picks passes in between the lines. He's intercepting passes as well at a high clip. Gravenberch hasn't been at his best. We know he's a top player, one who won young player of the season only two seasons ago; Premier League winner, as we know. I think the manager's arguably made the right call. Gravenberch isn't in the best moment but I believe he can come back to his best – make no mistake about that."
Gravenberch, who joined from Bayern Munich for €40 million in 2023, has made 149 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists. This season, he has played 12 games and 663 minutes, with one assist.
His contract runs until 2032, but how quickly he wins back his place may depend on how Nyoni handles Arsenal.
