Image Credits: Imago Images
Rio Ngumoha quickly made himself impossible to ignore and secured a place in Arne Slot’s first-team squad after an impressive pre-season, in which he scored twice and provided two assists.
He scored a dramatic 100th-minute winner in Liverpool’s 3-2 victory over Newcastle, doing so before even turning 17 on his Premier League debut.
Ngumoha has featured in both of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup games this season, starting in the 2-1 win over Southampton and the 3-0 defeat against Crystal Palace.
Those matches account for his only two starts out of seven appearances so far.
In the Premier League, he has accumulated 64 minutes so far – including stoppage time.
His sole Champions League appearance, against Atletico Madrid, added another 23 minutes to his tally.
With Liverpool now out of the Carabao Cup, it is unclear when Ngumoha will next start.
The FA Cup third round in early January could provide an opportunity, though it remains to be seen how many minutes he will add to his total before then.
The decision not to replace Luis Diaz in the summer has left Slot relying primarily on Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah as his starting wingers.
Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa have been used as impact substitutes, while the versatility of Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz allows them to fill in on the wing despite it not being their natural position.
According to The Athletic, a loan move in January appears very unlikely.
Liverpool believe Ngumoha will benefit more from daily training with the first team rather than dropping down to the under-21s.
Slot is keen for him to remain with the senior squad, as playing with the under-21s would cause him to miss three crucial first-team sessions, the day before a match, matchday itself, and the day after for recovery.
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