A round-up of the latest Liverpool news as Arne Slot confirms an injury blow ahead of the visit of Brentford and the Anfield outfit have gone against their head coach’s plan.
Arne Slot calls up Liverpool academy gem Trey Nyoni to full first-team training
New Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has handed academy gem Trey Nyoni a full-time role in first-team training. The 17-year-old left a positive impression on the tactician over the club’s pre-season plans and Slot now sees Nyoni as a prime example of the path to senior minutes.
Many players to graduate from Liverpool’s academy in recent terms have either seen a path to first-team football blocked at Anfield or been offloaded. But Slot wants to emphasise that Liverpool remain a club where promising prospects are offered a path to merit a senior spot.
Nyoni especially shone as Liverpool met Real Betis in pre-season and is training under Slot’s watch on a daily basis. It is his second year on Merseyside after arriving from Leicester City’s academy last summer. Nyoni’s sole senior Liverpool outing came in the FA Cup this February.
“The squad we have has a lot of homegrown players,” Slot said in his press conference on Friday. “One of them, Trey Nyoni, is also training with us on a daily basis but he’s only 17.”
Read more about what Slot has said about Liverpool academy talent Nyoni, here.
Liverpool confirm Jarell Quansah is an injury doubt to face Brentford
Liverpool will host Brentford in the first Premier League home match of the Arne Slot era on Sunday but Jarell Quansah is an injury doubt. Slot has confirmed that the defender suffered a blow during training as Quansah strived to impress after his difficult time at Ipswich Town.
Quansah started at Portman Road as Liverpool kicked off the campaign with a 2-0 win. But it was not the start to the term that the 22-year-old wanted as he was hooked at half-time for Ibrahima Konate. Slot even suggested Quansah lost too many duels against Ipswich’s striker.
So, the centre-half sought to hit the AXA Training Centre pitches and prove himself ahead of the Bees visiting Anfield. But Quansah is now a doubt for Brentford’s trip after sustaining an injury – leaving Konate plus Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Nat Phillips as Liverpool’s options.
“I spoke to him after the [Ipswich] game, I spoke to him on Sunday and at the end of that conversation, he asked if he could train on Sunday,” Slot said in his press conference on Friday. “Normally he should have done recovery but he wanted to train.
“Unfortunately, I think it was Tuesday, he picked up a bit of an injury, so he couldn’t train on Wednesday. Let’s see if he can train. But he reacted in the way every player should react.”
Read more about what Slot has said about Quansah’s injury for Liverpool vs Brentford, here.
Liverpool went against Arne Slot’s plan by selling Sepp van den Berg to Brentford
Liverpool went against the wishes of new head coach Arne Slot by selling Sepp van den Berg to Brentford this week. That is according to De Telegraaf, which reports that the Dutchman’s intentions were for the defender to stay at Anfield for extra depth in his first term in charge.
The Premier League clubs announced the transfer of Van den Berg to Brentford for an initial £20m, rising to £25m after add-ons, on Thursday. But Slot would have chosen the 22-year-old – who could make his Bees debut at Anfield this Sunday – stayed over the money gained.
Van den Berg only played just four times for Liverpool over five years on Merseyside. He also spent 39 months out on loan but Slot intended to give the Netherlands talent a chance after impressing in pre-season. But Van den Berg was not interested in a year in and out of the XI.
Read more about Slot’s opposition to Liverpool selling Van den Berg to Brentford, here.
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