INJURY BLOW: For Liverpool and boss Arne Slot, above, ahead of Leeds United's visit.placeholder image
INJURY BLOW: For Liverpool and boss Arne Slot, above, ahead of Leeds United's visit. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Arne Slot has had injury problems all season, but one forgotten man who could solve a current one has broken their silence on a possible exit.
Arne Slot has had to contend with a series of injuries this season with the futures of two Liverpool fringe players being affected in the process.
The absence of Mohamed Salah and injury to Alexander Isak has meant that Federico Chiesa has been told that he has to stay at Anfield and another who Slot isn’t sure about faces a similar fate. When Conor Bradley went down against Arsenal, the Reds boss must have wondered what he has done to deserve not being able to pick the same right-back for three games in a row.
Calvin Ramsay breaks silence on Liverpool exit rumours
One player who Slot has refused to turn to, but who has seen thoughts of a January loan move crumble after Bradley’s injury is Calvin Ramsay. The 22-year old right-back has featured just once this season, in the Carabao Cup, where he earned a Premier League recall and did more than enough to suggest that he could be trusted, despite several of his teammates not doing the same. With a change in circumstances, he must be regretting not leaving in the summer to get more games.
Speaking to liverpoolfc.com, the Scotland international has revealed that the club and his agent made the decisions to stay at Anfield rather than go on loan – focusing on gaining match fitness and getting regular game time under the watchful gaze of Arne Slot: “I spoke with my agent and the club at the start of the season and, off the back of the loans that I’ve had, the best solution was to stay around the club here, play with the U21s, get back to full fitness and get opportunities with the first team like I’ve got,” Ramsay said.
“I’ve trained with them, played against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup. That was the plan really and I think it’s worked out perfectly because I feel fit, I feel good training with the first team and hopefully it puts me in a good position now. Obviously after a few loan spells where I didn’t play too much, to be back involved and training with the first team is good. It’s good for my development to be around world-class players.”
He added: “I had two knee injuries and didn’t play a lot when I was out on loan, but I’ve always believed in myself. I think that’s how I’m at this club in the first place. I’ve always believed in myself, knew what I can do and I just knew I need to keep working hard and when I got an opportunity, like the Palace game, to take it. I think I did take it, so hopefully I can just keep going and maybe get some more opportunities.”
Why Ramsay should be given right-back chance
With Jeremie Frimpong impressing on the right-hand side of midfield, there is no reason why Ramsay shouldn’t be given a chance in a position where he was tipped to be a regular international.
Ironically, it was Everton’s Nathan Patterson who he was supposed to be competing with, and yet neither defender has been able to stay consistently fit since moving to Merseyside from the Scottish Premiership. With the Premier League title out of reach, Slot can now afford to be more relaxed with one or two of the academy players and give them a chance, in case he needs them further down the line.
The right-back slot is one that is up for grabs with Scotland given that Aaron Hickey is another who is jinxed with injury and affected by the plague of the no.2 shirt. With Joe Gomez the only other competition, unless Dominik Szoboszlai is forced to play out of position again, Ramsay should see more of the pitch than just sitting on the bench watching. It wouldn’t be the first time that a player was written off only to eventually become a regular and someone who the manager can trust.
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