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Liverpool youngster set for huge opportunity after latest injury blow
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- Liverpool youngster set for huge opportunity after latest injury blow
Liverpool youngster set for huge opportunity after latest injury blow
Liverpool Midfield Injury Blow Opens Door for James McConnell and Wataru Endo
Liverpool got the result at Brentford. That mattered. Three points away from home, after going behind, always matter. Doing it in awkward circumstances matters even more. Still, the main talking point was not the comeback, it was Dominik Szoboszlai limping off and needing help from the medical staff.
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That changes things quickly for Andoni Iraola. Early indications suggest Szoboszlai could miss more than two weeks and potentially remain out until the November international break. In a crowded run of fixtures, that is a problem. Liverpool have six significant matches before then, and the midfield suddenly looks light, stretched and reliant on players who have either barely featured or are still learning on the job.
Szoboszlai injury leaves Liverpool short
There is no clever way to dress this up. Szoboszlai is a loss. He gives Liverpool energy, carrying power and intensity between the lines. Remove that and the burden lands on Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Trey Nyoni.
Nyoni was expected to start against Brentford once Szoboszlai's issue became clear, with Gravenberch also suspended. The teenager ended up playing an hour and handled himself well in what was his longest Premier League outing so far. That is encouraging, but it also highlights the issue. Iraola may now have to get through six fixtures with only three recognised midfielders he fully trusts.
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Gravenberch will return for Tuesday's meeting with Villarreal. Szoboszlai will not. That means more responsibility for everyone else, and there is no point pretending rotation will solve itself.
Photo: IMAGO
James McConnell deserves proper chance
This is where James McConnell comes in. He should get minutes, and not token minutes either. Liverpool need legs, discipline and a player who can step into the structure without fuss. McConnell fits that description.
The 22-year-old impressed in his only senior appearance of the season, in the Carabao Cup against Tottenham. He looked composed, tidy and ready for more. His development had stalled over the past year or two, so this is a real opening. If Iraola is willing to trust young players, and so far he has shown that he is, McConnell has every reason to think his chance is finally coming.
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The message is simple. If Szoboszlai is out, Liverpool cannot keep asking the same three players to absorb every minute. McConnell is there, available and capable of contributing.
Wataru Endo remains viable option
There is also Wataru Endo, who has been almost entirely out of sight. He has not made a single appearance in Liverpool's 10 matches this season, which tells you plenty about the current pecking order. Even so, writing him off would be lazy.
Endo is 33, experienced and positionally sound. He has barely played over the past year, but his last Liverpool outing, the 1-0 win over Sunderland in February, showed he can still do a job. That performance came at right-back, yet stepping into a two-man midfield should present no issue for him.
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More importantly, Endo offers a profile Liverpool have lacked at times. He is practical, disciplined and understands how to protect space. Those qualities become useful when the schedule tightens and the midfield starts to creak.
Liverpool midfield depth now under scrutiny
McConnell and Endo are not Szoboszlai. That is obvious. Liverpool will miss the Hungarian if this absence stretches through to the international break. But squad football is about solutions, not complaints.
Nyoni has already shown he can help. McConnell now looks likely to follow. Endo should not be forgotten either. Between them, Liverpool have options, even if none of them offer the full package Szoboszlai brings. For Iraola, that may be enough for now. It has to be.
