Liverpool kick-started their pre-season with a 4-2 victory over Sunderland in Nashville, but one player who impressed is ineligible to play in the Premier League this season.
For the first time since taking over at Anfield, Andoni Iraola got to see his players in action against a strong opponent, and he would have been delighted with multiple players.
Harvey Elliott returned to action for the Reds after returning from his disappointing loan spell at Aston Villa, and he teed up youngster Kieran Morrison for the opening goal.
Dominik Szoboszlai then scored with a trademark thunderous strike after coming off the bench in the second half before Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas also found the net.
A superb attacking performance was soured by an injury to Joe Gomez, who limped off early on and will undergo scans to determine the extent of the damage.
Gomez’s latest setback exposes the need for Liverpool to capture more defensive reinforcements.
Virgil van Dijk is on holiday after his World Cup exertions, Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from an ACL injury, and new signing Jeremy Jacquet was left out of the opening game of the tour as a precaution.
An injury to Gomez, who is the club’s current longest-serving player, was described as the “worst news” by Iraola post-match, and he was forced into playing some of his youngsters.
Ifeanyi Ndukwe, a £2.5million January arrival from Austria Vienna, came on to replace the Englishman, forming a rookie defensive partnership with fellow 18-year-old Mor Talla Ndiaye.
Ndukwe was a commanding presence in the heart of Liverpool’s defence against Sunderland and is highly-rated by those inside the club.
However, the teenager isn’t a solution to the club’s current defensive woes, not only due to his age and lack of experience, but because he isn’t eligible to play in the Premier League.
Why Ifeanyi Ndukwe cannot play in the Premier League this season
As reported by The Athletic’s James Pearce, Iraola won’t be able to call upon the Austrian youth international this season as he doesn’t meet the required points total to get a work permit in the UK.
Premier League rules state that overseas players need a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE), which functions as a work permit, based on an automatic pass, a points system, or Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) slots.
A loan therefore seems the most likely avenue for Ndukwe, who could benefit from playing regular first-team football elsewhere.
Pearce reaffirmed the stance that the 18-year-old will be shipped out temporarily, but the “potential” for his long-term future at the club is clear once he obtains a work permit.
Ndukwe made one senior appearance for Austria Vienna before joining the Merseyside giants, though it was his performances at the U17 World Cup in Qatar that convinced the Reds to snap him up in January.
“He has made the biggest leap of all, was promoted from the U18s to the [Austria Vienna U21s], and plays every game there unless he’s in the professional squad,” Austrian U17s coach Hermann Stadley claimed about Ndukwe in October last year.
“He stands out because of his height and hairstyle. He’s very, very advanced for his age.”
Ndukwe clearly has a promising future in professional football, and his performance against Sunderland only serves as a small demonstration of his undoubted talent.
