Young Liverpool duo Luke Chambers and Will Wright are closing in on a return from injury — though the Reds' U21s side is not in competition action again until January 9.
Chambers, who was on loan at Wigan Athletic last season, has been sidelined since March with back issues, while Wright, who signed from Salford City in the summer, turning down Arsenal to move to Merseyside, has missed 10 weeks with the knee injury that he picked up against Atletico Madrid in September.
"They're both back on the grass, which is really positive news," manager Rob Page told reporters, including from Liverpool.com, this week.
"Chambo has been with us the last couple of weeks. I've got a lot of time for him and he is a really exciting player. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with him in the next few weeks.
"Will is back on the grass with us now, so he is just having more sessions getting ready for game time. We're getting more and more bodies back on the pitch.
"We've got a few friendlies that we're trying to organize and that will give us the opportunities to play minutes that they need ready for January."
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 26: Trent Kone-Doherty of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammate Haydn Murray-Holme during the UEFA Youth League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Liverpool FC and PSV Eindhoven at Liverpool FC Academy on November 26, 2025 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Annabel Lee-Ellis/Getty Images)
Trent Kone-Doherty celebrates scoring his winner with impressive Liverpool team-mate Haydn Murray-Holme (Image: Annabel Lee-Ellis/Getty Images)
This week, Liverpool U19s qualified for the knockout phase of the UEFA Youth League with a narrow victory over PSV, courtesy of a last-minute Trent Kone-Doherty goal. They still have one game left to play in the group stage, against Inter Milan.
"Haydn Murray-Holme was outstanding," Page said. "It is no coincidence that we took control of the midfield in the second half.
"He got on the ball and was brave with his passing options; he wasn't just safe and passing it backwards and square. He wasn't afraid to play it through the lines, and I was really pleased with him.
"Oli O'Connor at right-back, he is not a right-back, and Alvin Ayman at left-back, he is not a left-back. We have midfielders playing at full-back because of injuries but when they go on the pitch, they give us everything.
Liverpool U18s midfielder Alvin Ayman.
Liverpool U18s midfielder Alvin Ayman. (Image: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
"Kieran Morrison came into the game in the second half and he poses a threat, and so does Trent Kone-Doherty. We know we have always got pace and ability out wide to hurt teams, and we did really well in the second half."
Following the versatility theme, Carter Pinnington, who has impressed in this competition this season, began the game in midfield and then moved to center-back when Prince Cisse picked up an injury.
"I worked with Ethan Ampadu, who's now at Leeds; he played at center-back and in midfield and [Pinnington] is very similar to that," Page continued.
"I think if you have another string to your bow and you can play multiple positions, it adds value, absolutely.
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"I know I can trust him as a six and he can play more defensively than other midfielders, potentially, and he is athletic enough to play as a center-back, where he is aggressive with his presence.
"It is great for his development. It is great whether he goes on to play for the first team here or elsewhere, he can play in more than one position.
"A couple were forced upon us because it is an U19s age group and we can only have three overage players. But I do like that flexibility. I like Oli, and that was his second game at right-back, but he was excellent.
"He's a wide man, so defensively we know there are areas that he will need to work on and he's not going to be a natural, but from the attacking point of view, we know he is going to give us that little bit of flair as well."