Talented young Liverpool winger Kaide Gordon is set to make his long-awaited return to training later this month after 17 months out with a pelvic problem.
The issue has been linked to his growth, leaving the 18-year-old unable to feature for the Reds at any level since February 2022. But this pre-season will mark a welcome final step, having already been out for initial work on grass last month.
The teenage star, who became Liverpool's youngest-ever scorer when he scored against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup in January 2022, is a talented right-winger aiming to follow in the footsteps of Mohamed Salah thanks to his left-footedness.
After joining from Derby County in 2021, Gordon has since played four times for the Reds first team, with a Premier League runout already to his name having come off the bench against Brentford last season.
READ MORE: Liverpool have just signed Mohamed Salah replacement without anyone realising
READ MORE: Henderson shares defiant seven-word message after Liverpool transfer rumours
As the ECHO reported back in June, Gordon had already been running on the pitch at the AXA Training Centre and had started tentative ball work. The youngster had been following a specialised training programme to aid his recovery.
Liverpool recently indicated the player was close to resuming team training, and it now appears the time has come.
As reported by the Athletic on Wednesday, Gordon will return fully in two weeks, starting out with the club's U21 side in order to re-establish his form and fitness. Liverpool's U21 manager Barry Lewtas has already outlined the need for caution in not rushing the player back, however, with complications due to the nature of his injury.
"What is difficult with certain kind of injuries, especially with younger boys who are growing, they are complicated," explained Lewtas. "It's not like when you break a bone, then the bone heals and you crack on."
Lewtas was careful not to set expectations too high, with his return to training coming after a change in his physique - a problem which he highlighted could take some adjustment.
He added: "Some of these injuries are more complex, and unfortunately for Kaide it has been that. It has been linked to his growth, and Kaide is taller and bigger now than when he last played.
"We always knew never to put a timeframe on it as we knew it could be a long one and we didn't want to set his hopes too high, and wanted to keep him in the right frame of mind as well. It's without raising expectations of anybody else as well, as he's a player who has already made an impact in the first team.
"He's been running around the pitch a little bit more, and we'll see how he goes."
