January signing Mor Talla Ndiaye is returning to Liverpool’s Under-21s at just the right time.
Liverpool’s U21s sit in second in the Premier League 2 standings with just two games left before the play-offs begin.
Head coach Rob Page will be delighted to have a talented centre-back added to his academy ranks as the stakes heighten.
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Declan Rice runs with the ball as Curtis Jones chases him during Liverpool's Premier League match against Arsenal at Anfield.
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He told This Is Anfield: “We’ve got Mor coming back in. Mor’s training with us every day now so we’ll build his fitness up gradually and hopefully we’ll get to see him in the next couple of weeks.”
If all goes to plan, Ndiaye could play a key role in the final months of the season, when the knockout football begins.
Mor Talla Ndiaye and Liverpool’s Premier League 2 prospects
The young Reds have been the hottest side in the division since the turn of the new year, a run of form that culminated in Sunday’s emphatic 5-0 thrashing of Wolves.
That victory didn’t just extend their unbeaten streak; it catapulted Rob Page’s side to the summit of the Premier League 2 table.
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Chelsea have leapfrogged them with a win over Birmingham, but Liverpool are well-positioned to finish on the right side of the bracket, ensuring home-field advantage for most of the knockout fixtures.
The timing of Ndiaye’s return couldn’t be better.
Tall Ndiaye on the ball during Senegal's match against Croatia during the FIFA U17 World Cup
Photo by Jurij Kodrun – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
While the likes of Kieran Morrison and Trey Nyoni have been grabbing the headlines with their clinical output in the final third, a deep playoff run often hinges on defensive stability.
Ndiaye provides a physical profile that has been missing at the back.
Standing at 6’3″ and possessing the recovery pace required of a modern centre-back, he could be the missing piece to bring Liverpool their first PL2 title.
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Arne Slot in the Champions League
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In the high-pressure environment of the playoffs, where one slip-up can end a season of hard work, having a fresh, elite-level talent like Ndiaye to rotate into the backline is a luxury few other academies possess.
Liverpool rate Ndiaye very highly. If he can impress towards the business end of the season, we could see the Senegalese youngster enter the first-team picture at Anfield next season.
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