Kaide Gordon looks set to remain sidelined until 2023 as the Liverpool winger continues to recover from a pelvic problem.
The winger, who celebrated his 18th birthday at the start of October, enjoyed a senior breakthrough for Jurgen Klopp ’s side last season as he made four appearances, including his Premier League debut, and also scored his first goal for the Reds. However, he hasn’t featured for the club at any level since a Premier League 2 appearance against Leeds United back in February.
Liverpool have been keeping a careful eye on the issue with the player following his own specialised training programme, having been troubled by a pelvic injury linked to his physical growth. But with the Reds not wanting to rush the youngster, he is unlikely to return to competitive action until the New Year.
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“ Kaide ’s been unfortunate with a long-term injury,” Under-21s head coach Barry Lewtas told the ECHO after Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Everton on Saturday. “He’s another unbelievably young boy. He’s still an Under-18 which is crazy.
“You have to be careful with certain injuries because there is a long-term plan there as well. He’s still here. He’s still smiling in the corridors. I still love bumping into Kaide because he’s a good kid.
“He’s been out for a bit, it’s just small steps with him at the minute. One beauty for us is the World Cup being at an unusual time. Our season stops on November 9th and we don’t restart until January.
“Hopefully it may give the lads who we’ve got injured, like Kaide, the opportunity to work their way back.”
Gordon isn’t the only injured forward in the Under-21s ranks at the moment, however, with both Layton Stewart and Oakley Cannonier also currently sidelined.
“Layton took quite a bad knock to his ankle at Accrington,” Lewtas explained. “It was a bit of a blow but nothing long, long, long-term. We’ll have to go week-to-week with that one.
“Oakley, it’s the same really. He had a problem at Rangers. We’re a bit bare-boned at the moment but it’s a chance for the young lads.”
In the pairs’ absence, 16-year-old Ben Doak scored the winner against Everton as he was handed his first Under-21s start, while Mateusz Musialowski started in a central position.
And Lewtas was impressed with both players’ performances against the young Blues before explaining Liverpool’s mid-term plan for Doak following his eye-catching start in the Academy after his £600k move from Celtic in the summer.
“Ben was unplayable at times today,” he said. “We knew how we wanted the game to go. It was all about the control and overloading certain parts of the pitch.
“We knew we’d get in with Ben, but you’ve still got to give him the ball and then it’s over to him really. Today we were able to get him lots of the ball. He beat his man a number of times 1v1.
“He was unfortunate not to score in the first half but obviously got his goal in the end. He loves the big occasions. Rangers, in the two Youth League games, he was fine with his mentality towards that so I had no issues dropping him in today.
“We’ve got quite a few lads missing at the moment so it’s a real opportunity for the younger ones. Today he was certainly one who stepped up.
“He’ll be flitting between the two age groups, he is still only young. At the minute we have got a few lads injured and a few with the first team. He’s still a youth-teamer but when he comes up and trains with us, we’ll see where he goes from there.”
He continued: “Matty’s done that role well for us in the past. He’s not a traditional nine but he’s similar to Ben.
“You want to get these players the ball and when Matty dribbles in the middle, he’s a real danger. He did really well today, especially in the first half.
“He created a couple of chances for us. He can play anywhere across the frontline, the important thing is just trying to get him the ball.”
Elsewhere, Calvin Ramsay also made his first start for Liverpool against Everton, having returned from injury off the bench against Accrington Stanley in the Papa John’s Trophy last week. Replaced at half-time, Lewtas reassured that the former Aberdeen defender hadn’t picked up an injury as he explained that such a change was pre-planned as the Scotland Under-21s international continues to feel his way back following his lengthy lay-off.
“The plan was always 30 minutes against Accrington and then 45 today,” Lewtas confirmed. “He’s not injured. Our job is to provide an opportunity for the boys to play. We try our best to be a version of the first team and play in a particular way. That’s what enables the boys to come down and play.
“He’s a lovely lad and I’m not just saying that. A really nice boy. He came away with us to Accrington, which was nice for him to get to know some of the team. He has settled in really well.
“But he is with the first team, really. He trains with them. He is fit now but this was an opportunity to build up his minutes as he has not played for a while.
“We have shown in the last couple of seasons — like when Harvey Elliott played a couple of games for us (last season) — that this group is a good opportunity to give players minutes, keep them fresh and ticking over. Today Calvin got up to 45 minutes. We will see what the next step is for him.”
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