2023/24 hasn’t been the best season for Liverpool’s legion of loan players.
Although there have been some exceptions, it has largely been a campaign of disappointment for the Reds’ young hopefuls.
One of those to have bucked the trend has been left-back Owen Beck. The Welsh defender has been excellent for Dundee, becoming a key player in Tony Docherty’s team. Indeed, when Liverpool recalled Beck in January to cover for the first-team, his temporary side were devastated. Thankfully, after making his Premier League debut for the Reds, Beck returned up North.
However, according to quotes from Docherty to Football Scotland today, the Welshman has now succumbed to injury. Set to be out for more than a month, Beck will now return to Liverpool for treatment.
“Owen is looking at a minimum of four to six weeks on the sidelines,” says the manager. “We have been monitoring and managing the situation with his groin and he’ll now go for a scan on it.
“With Liverpool being his parent club they will have a big input into that and, of course, he’ll get the best of treatment. He will go down there for that, certainly for this period because he’s their player and they want to look at it themselves.”
Beck heading back to Anfield
Obviously, there’s no chance of Beck playing for Liverpool when he returns. His comeback is purely for fitness reasons.
Even if it weren’t, Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas are now fit again anyway. There’s no need for Beck to sit around on the bench.
Instead, the youngster will perhaps be seen in and around the training ground as he tries to come back before the end of the season.
It really is a shame that Beck has been injured heading into the crucial part of the season. His displays this season have marked him out as someone who could still have a future at Liverpool.
The player himself has recently spoken about aiming for a first-team slot next season and on the back of his form this year he should have a chance.
But timing is often everything in a young player’s career. There’s never a good time to get injured, but right towards the end of an impressive campaign is possibly one of the worst.
Hopefully things go smoothly for Beck and he can come back and make a difference still for Dundee. If there are complications, there’s a danger his season may be over.
In the long run, it’s important that the Wales U21 international isn’t rushed back. Whatever happens, he’s taken big steps forward this season.
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