In many ways, Liverpool’s Europa League involvement has acted as a blessing in disguise rather than an unwanted competition that hampers other targets.
The Reds have been able to find a good balance between the rest and rhythm that Jurgen Klopp has discussed many times.
At the weekend, they took top spot in the Premier League, beating Crystal Palace 2-1 while Arsenal dropped points away to Aston Villa.
With the Premier League leaders already qualified for the round of 16, the trip to Brussels on Thursday night to play Union Saint-Gilloise offers a chance for fringe players and young prodigies to get some game-time.
Here, Mail Sport runs the rule over some Kop kids to watch out for…
Jurgen Klopp’s side have already qualified for the last 16 but travel to Belgium to play Union Saint-Gilloise
The Reds may look to rest and rotate ahead of the busy Christmas period in the Premier League
JARELL QUANSAH, 20
In a post on a Bristol Rovers blog site just seven months ago, a Gas fan listed things Quansah was ‘not very good’ at, after the defender’s loan at Joey Barton’s League One side. Now, this raw talent could be the boy that saves Liverpool £100million.
The Warrington-born defender joined the club aged five and has captained age-group sides, but has made a meteoric – and according to Klopp, pleasantly surprising – rise this year, following an impromptu Premier League debut at Newcastle when Liverpool were down to 10 men.
Quansah has studied drone footage of Van Dijk and both the captain and vice-captain Alexander-Arnold have waxed lyrical about his calmness. They were talking about how he takes everything in his stride mentally but he is also calm on the ball and a commanding defender.
With Joel Matip out for the season with a ruptured ACL, Quansah has risen up the defensive pecking order. He has played well alongside Merseyside rival Jarrad Branthwaite for England Under 21s, too. Now his rise could cause a rethink in any plans to spend big on a defender.
Jarrell Quansah could be the boy to save Liverpool £100m in their search for a new centre back
BEN DOAK, 18
Another whose career trajectory has taken a drastic upwards turn in the last 12 months, Doak signed from Celtic for £600,000 just a year ago but is now classed as the understudy to Mohamed Salah on the right wing for Liverpool.
This rapid, direct and tricky forward – the ‘Tasmanian devil’ as Van Dijk calls him – is a joy to watch. In a rare outing for the Under 21s at Bradford last week, Liverpool were outclassed in what was quite literally a men-against-boys affair – but Doak was by far the beacon of light.
The Scottish wide man has been helped settle in by compatriot Andy Robertson after initial fears of homesickness and has played four times for the senior team this year, not least replacing Salah with Liverpool needing a goal in a 1-1 draw at Chelsea in the Premier League.
Ben Doak has become the unofficial understudy to Mohamed Salah on Liverpool’s right wing
JAMES McCONNELL, 19
Alexis Mac Allister politely declined the nickname ‘Gary’ – a nod to Reds legend Gary McAllister – when joining the club in July, and instead became the second player to be known as ‘Macca’ around the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby.
The similarities don’t end there, though, with James McConnell following a similar route in recent months of transitioning from an attacking midfielder to operating in the deeper, No 6 role.
Signed from Sunderland aged 15, McConnell excelled in a pre-season tour of Singapore.
His calmness on the ball impressed Klopp, who handed him a Premier League debut in November as a substitute.
McConnell has also played at right-back for the Under 21s this season and won a long-term deal after excelling in last year’s UEFA Youth League.
James McConnell excelled in a pre-season tour of Singapore after being signed from Sunderland at the age of 15
CONOR BRADLEY, 20
With five goals and five assists from right-back during a loan spell at Bolton last season, the Northern Irishman was given a chance to shine during Liverpool’s pre-season games in Germany and came away with huge credit.
Sadly for Bradley, he suffered a stress fracture in his back and missed a good four months of action before returning in the last Europa League game off the bench.
The County Tyrone-born star has 13 senior caps for his national team and recently signed a new deal at Liverpool.
LUKE CHAMBERS, 19
Another successful case for the loan system at Liverpool. Chambers spent the latter half of last season at Kilmarnock and showed his mentality when he turned down the chance to play in the Under 20s World Cup, instead staying in Scotland to help Killie avoid relegation.
His manager Derek McInnes told Mail Sport recently of his experience of the left-back, who has made three senior appearances this term: ‘I’ve worked with a lot of loan players and none have made a bigger impact than Luke. What a diamond of a boy, Liverpool are lucky to have him.’
Luke Chambers’ ex-manager Derek McInnes told Mail Sport Liverpool were ‘lucky to have him’
KAIDE GORDON, 19
Gordon joined from Derby in 2021 and, a year later, lived out his dream of netting in front of the Kop against Shrewsbury and becoming Liverpool’s youngest-ever FA Cup goal-scorer.
A week later, he made his Premier League debut against Brentford.
He also started in the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal that season and many thought he was a first-team mainstay.
Kaide Gordon became the Reds’ youngest ever FA Cup goal scorer after netting against Shrewsbury in 2022
It has been a horrible 18 months since then, with adolescent musculoskeletal issues – growing pains – seeing him miss a year of football.
Gordon is back now, though, and was an unused substitute in the last European match against Toulouse.
The 19-year-old will be hoping he can get on to the pitch this time. Also training with the first team on Wednesday were Lewis Koumas – son of Jason – Marcelo Pitaluga and Tom Hill.
PREDICTED XI: Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Chambers; McConnell, Elliott, Jones; Doak, Gakpo, Diaz.
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