Liverpool desperately need 21-year-old to be back fit to face Manchester City, he could be the key

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With less than a week to go until Liverpool head to the Etihad to face Manchester City, the countdown has now begun.

There’s still plenty going on in the way of international fixtures this week. But at the AXA Training Centre, work will already be underway to determine the XI Jurgen Klopp can field on Saturday.

Part of that work will be to figure out whether or not Ryan Gravenberch is ready to put a two-game absence behind him and begin the biggest game of his Liverpool career to date.

After fighting his way into the Reds starting XI, Gravenberch was struck down with a knock just before the break. Klopp has since indicated that he expected the 21-year-old to be fit and ready for after the current pause. If he is, then Gravenberch has to start against City.

Right from the start of his time at Anfield, it’s been clear that Bayern Munich made a big mistake in letting the Dutchman go. Languid, skilful and technically excellent, Pep Lijnders recent decision to call Gravenberch a ‘special’ player is totally justified.

Where Liverpool have previously come up short in midfield away to City, the former Ajax man is capable of giving them that ‘X Factor’ they’ve sometimes lacked.

Liverpool hoping for Gravenberch recovery

We really don’t envy Jurgen going into Saturday’s game. While Pep Guardiola has seemingly taken the decision to pull all of his players out of international duty, the Reds haven’t employed such underhand tactics.

Erling Haaland is the latest ‘doubt’ for the game. But between you and us, we’d be surprised in the extreme if the Norwegian – and his other stricken colleagues – don’t magically reappear next weekend.

For Liverpool though, there are some legitimate concerns. Gravenberch looks much more likely to be ready for Saturday than Curtis Jones, who remains injured.

Meanwhile usual starter Alexis Mac Allister is in action for Argentina in Rio de Janeiro in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

If Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai is Klopp’s preferred midfield trio, then the Hungarian looks like the only one heading into the game in proper shape.

That once again highlights the ridiculousness of scheduling a game like this at 12.30 on a Saturday lunchtime, after an international break. Klopp is right to be furious about that.

But as silly as it is, that isn’t going to change now. If Gravenberch isn’t fit behind closed doors at the AXA by now, then he likely isn’t going to be ready. If he has returned, then he’ll have a full week or more of training and preparing.

With Mac Allister and Szoboszlai not afforded that luxury, Jurgen may have to rely on his No.38 to take the initiative. Let’s hope he’s all good.