Trey Nyoni was handed valuable minutes after only a cameo in Liverpool’s FA Cup win, as the under-21s hosted the Championship’s Wrexham in a friendly.
Rob Page’s U21s side have relied on friendly fixtures heavily over the winter to keep fit and sharp with nearly two months between competitive games.
The Reds won their first Premier League 2 match since November 7 over the weekend, in a 3-2 comeback win that also heralded the return of summer signing Will Wright.
And on Tuesday, the U21s hosted a Wrexham side boasting Jay Rodriguez, Paul Mullin and ex-Red Conor Coady, and they held them to a 1-1 draw, with Trent Kone-Doherty scoring for the Reds.
Liverpool took the lead in the 13th minute and offered a good account of themselves up front, with Calvin Ramsay, Kieran Morrison, Keyrol Figueroa and later Wright all coming close.
Trey Nyoni handed 70 minutes after Barnsley snub
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, August 4, 2025: Liverpool's Trey Nyoni during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Athletic Bilbao at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The match notably handed 70 much-needed minutes to Nyoni, who has seen less than 10 minutes of action for the first team across the last 16 games in all competitions.
The midfielder, who has returned to play for the academy sporadically throughout the season so far, was only turned to in the 88th minute against League One’s Barnsley on Monday.
The fixture had been seen by supporters as an opportunity to keep the 18-year-old up to speed at senior level, but his lack of game-time made friendly action a no-brainer, with the same applying to Ramsay.
Trey Nyoni: Liverpool Stats 2025/26
Player Appearances (Starts) Total Minutes
Trey Nyoni 5 (2) 184
* Performance data via FotMob. All senior competitions. Correct as of January 14, 2026.
Arne Slot risked all his right-back options in the cup clash, while Ramsay remained unused on the bench.
The Scot played 75 minutes at Kirkby before being replaced ahead of an anticipated squad role against Burnley, which would be his eighth consecutive game in the first-team squad.
Calum Scanlon injury return: Liverpool defender back after 353 days out
Calum Scanlon Liverpool
The match was also significant for defender Calum Scanlon, who made his first appearance of the season after a serious hamstring injury on loan last season that kept him sidelined for 353 days.
In an Instagram post after the match, he penned: “353 days. It’s been a while but I’m finally back, thank you Lord.”
The left-back has endured a torrid time with injury over the last couple of years, with a stress fracture in his back and his hamstring issue keeping him out for months at a time.
He played the first half before being withdrawn as one of five half-time substitutions, which saw the likes of Rhys Williams and Kornel Misciur introduced.
Scanlon will look to steadily build his fitness at academy level to be ready for pre-season and, likely, a potential loan spell next season.
Liverpool XI: Pecsi (Misciur 46′); Ramsay (Airoboma 75′), Lucky (Adekoya 46′), Nallo (R. Williams 46′), Scanlon (Pitt 46′); Nyoni (Kelly 70), Trueman (Laffey 60′), Onanuga (Pinnington 60′); Figueroa (Wright 60′), Morrison (Bradshaw 46′), Kone-Doherty (Cannonier 60′)
Next match: Arsenal (H) – Premier League 2 – Saturday, January 17, 2pm (GMT)