Liverpool are continuing their preparations for the new Premier League season, with Andoni Iraola’s side having used the summer to assess a number of first-team and academy options.
The Reds have enjoyed an encouraging pre-season for the most part, with several youngsters taking advantage of opportunities to impress.
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With the opening weekend now approaching, attention is increasingly turning towards squad fitness and availability.
Liverpool have already had to manage a number of injuries during the summer, while the demanding schedule has also provided valuable minutes for the club’s emerging talents.
One youngster who has made a particularly strong impression is among those now facing an uncertain period on the sidelines.
Joshua Abe has suffered a shoulder injury after featuring for Liverpool’s U18s against Manchester City last weekend.
The 16-year-old started the 2-1 defeat and was involved in one of Liverpool’s early opportunities, cutting inside from the right before seeing his effort saved.
Abe has enjoyed a significant breakthrough over the course of the summer, earning opportunities around the first-team setup despite only becoming a first-year scholar for the 2026-27 campaign.
The winger was included on Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States and impressed during the friendly victory over Wrexham, where his pace and direct running caused problems for the opposition.
He had already trained with the senior side earlier in the year, having been called up to first-team sessions as a 15-year-old.
Now, however, Abe faces a spell away from action.
U21s coach Rob Page confirmed, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo, that the youngster dislocated his shoulder, explaining that it “popped out and popped back in again.”
Page added that Abe has experienced the problem previously and suggested there is no major concern, with the youngster currently wearing a sling as a precaution while Liverpool assess the situation.
“It’s nothing major,” Page said. “We’ll wait and see what happens.”
The setback comes at an unfortunate time for Abe, who had been building considerable momentum after a breakthrough summer with the first team.