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Liverpool FC## Ifeanyi Ndukwe caught the eye as he replaced Joe Gomez against Sunderland but rules prevent him featuring in competitive games, with a transfer on the cards
10:57, 26 Jul 2026
Ifeanyi Ndukwe featured for Liverpool against Sunderland
Ifeanyi Ndukwe featured for Liverpool against Sunderland
Liverpool's youngsters came to the fore as new boss Andoni Iraola faced up to a defensive crisis in his first game in charge.
The Reds got their pre-season campaign off to a winning start in Nashville on Saturday, defeating Sunderland 4-2. The result was made more impressive given the first-team players missing before the latest in a long line of injuries for Joe Gomez.
With Virgil van Dijk yet to return from the World Cup and new recruit Jeremy Jacquet not up to speed, Iraola was forced to turn to a rookie partnership of teenagers Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye.
The 18-year-olds were both signed in January with Liverpool paying around $3.3 million (£2.5 million) for Ndukwe from Austria Vienna, while Ndiaye cost close to $1.3M (£1 million).
The need for defensive additions is stark after Ibrahima Konate's departure, with Giovanni Leoni remaining a long-term absentee. It leaves skipper Van Dijk as the only senior central defender.
There have been links to the likes of PSG star Illia Zabarnyi, who Iraola knows well from his time at Bournemouth. But the performances of Ndukwe and Ndiaye will have given Liverpool fans some confidence.
Yet the former will not be able to play for Liverpool this season. Ndukwe does not meet the necessary points to get a work permit in the UK and will therefore have to be loaned out, reports The Athletic.
Andoni Iraola on the touchline
Andoni Iraola on the touchline(Image: Andrew J. Clark/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Ndiaye, however, is eligible and is likely to stick around unless Liverpool makes multiple additions to its backline.
Speaking after the win over Sunderland, Iraola raised concerns over Gomez's setback with the defender forced off after just seven minutes.
He lamented: "Probably the worst news has been straight away the injury of Joe. We were happy because we were going through training without losing any players and unluckily for us we've lost Joe straight away.
"With Jeremy we decided to take it easy with him. He's had a lot of months without playing and he's been training very well but we're going to take it easy with him. He will play probably in the last game of this tour and he will have time to have minutes."
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Liverpool has been boosted by three players returning to pre-season training through with Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch all linking up with the squad in the USA.
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