James McConnell was left as an unused substitute in the first match after John Heitinga’s sacking, with Liverpool left with a decision to make on the midfielder’s future.
Heitinga left Liverpool in the summer to take the top job at Ajax but was sacked last week after four successive defeats in the Champions League and only three wins in the Eredivisie.
Fred Grim took charge as interim coach for Ajax over the weekend against FC Utrecht, with both Liverpool loanees, Vitezslav Jaros and McConnell, left to watch the full match from the bench.
It is the second league game in a row that McConnell has been left unused, having started only twice this season, while Jaros has been usurped in the last five games after starting 11 in succession.
Forty-one-year-old Remko Pasveer has taken the mantle as the No. 1 and conceded two goals in a 2-1 defeat on Sunday at Utrecht.
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While Jaros has had a more positive experience in the Netherlands, McConnell’s signing was previously described as a “surprise to the scouting team,” seen as coming at the expense of homegrown youngster Jorthy Mokio.
With McConnell playing only 219 minutes while having a trusted figure like Heitinga in charge, that will offer Liverpool pause for thought as they evaluate whether or not to recall the 21-year-old.
Grim is uncertain how long he will remain Ajax’s interim manager, but Gary Probert, Liverpool’s new head of loan management, will be watching closely after the November international break.
2SBMFBB Girona, Spain. 04th Feb, 2025. Stefan Bajcetic of UD Las Palmas during the La Liga EA Sports match between Girona FC and UD Las Palmas played at Montilivi Stadium on February 3, 2025 in Girona, Spain. (Photo by Bagu Blanco/PRESSINPHOTO) Credit: Sipa US/Alamy Live News
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The club is no stranger to recalling a player from loan and either retaining them for the rest of the season or finding a new club, as they did when Stefan Bajcetic swapped Salzburg for Las Palmas in January last season.
Arne Slot is a fan of McConnell’s and few at Liverpool will have interest in seeing his development stutter at Ajax, and another could be considered if game time cannot be promised with the first team.
Elsewhere, Kostas Tsimikas was also an unused substitute in Roma’s 2-0 win over Udinese, while Harvey Elliott was left out of Aston Villa‘s squad entirely in their win over Bournemouth.
Lewis Koumas came off the bench for Birmingham City to play the final 10 minutes of their defeat to Middlesbrough, and Luca Stephenson scored in Dundee United’s 1-1 draw against Hearts.