The international break may have taken most of Liverpool’s first-team squad away from Kirkby, but Andoni Iraola has still got plenty of work to do.
And Tuesday night’s EFL Trophy trip to Rochdale could provide the perfect opportunity.
Liverpool’s U21s travel to the Crown Oil Arena for a 7pm kick-off, and a number of senior players who have remained at the club could potentially get some valuable minutes.
According to Jack Lusby, Freddie Woodman, Joe Gomez, Luke Chambers, Wataru Endo, James McConnell and Jayden Danns are among those who could feature.
And if Iraola decides to use the game in that way, it could be hugely beneficial.
A different kind of international break
Iraola explained before the break that Liverpool would continue training with the players who remained at the club after giving them some time off.
That’s important because Liverpool have a huge run of fixtures coming up after the internationals return.
The manager therefore needs his fringe players to be ready.
A game against Rochdale gives some of those players the opportunity to get competitive football rather than simply training for a couple of weeks.
And for a player like Gomez, who has had his own injury problems, getting minutes could be particularly useful.
The same applies to Endo and Woodman, while youngsters such as McConnell and Danns can benefit enormously from playing alongside more experienced senior players.
The EFL Trophy is perfect for this
There can sometimes be a tendency to look down on the EFL Trophy when Premier League academy sides are involved.
I don’t.
For Liverpool, this competition can be incredibly useful.
The rules allow academy sides to field over-age players, meaning Liverpool can mix their youngsters with senior professionals.
That’s exactly what you want from a competition like this.
The young players get experience of playing against senior opposition.
The senior players who aren’t getting regular Premier League football get competitive minutes.
And Iraola gets another opportunity to look at players who may become important later in the season.
Everybody gets something out of it.
Liverpool’s youngsters are already flying
There is another reason to be interested in this game.
Liverpool U21s come into the match after an emphatic 5-1 victory over Brighton U21s.
Will Wright scored twice, while Josh Sonni-Lambie, Joe Bradshaw and an own goal completed the scoring. Jayden Danns also came off the bench for the final 35 minutes and impressed.
So this isn’t simply a case of throwing a few senior players into an inexperienced side.
There are some exciting young players already performing well.
Adding experienced first-team players to that group could make the team even stronger.
And it gives Iraola the chance to see how some of the academy players cope when playing alongside senior professionals.
Don’t forget Doncaster
Rochdale isn’t the only opportunity.
Liverpool U21s will travel to Doncaster Rovers on October 6, with that match also scheduled for 7pm.
That could prove particularly useful for players who aren’t involved against Rochdale.
It could also be ideal for those returning from injury.
If a senior player gets 45 or 60 minutes against Rochdale, perhaps he can build that towards a longer appearance against Doncaster.
Liverpool have another EFL Trophy group game against Huddersfield Town in November too, although by then the first-team squad should be back into its normal rhythm.
This is what squad management is all about
Liverpool’s schedule after the international break is going to be demanding.
Manchester City.
Champions League football.
Premier League fixtures.
The Carabao Cup.
More Champions League football.
And Arsenal.
Iraola is going to need far more than his strongest XI.
He’s going to need players coming off the bench and contributing.
He’s going to need fringe players to be ready when injuries and fatigue inevitably arrive.
And he’s going to need young players to show that they’re capable of stepping up when required.
That’s why these EFL Trophy games matter.
They aren’t meaningless fixtures for Liverpool.
They’re opportunities.
Gomez and Endo could be particularly important
Two of the names that immediately stand out are Gomez and Endo.
Neither has been a regular starter this season, but both have plenty of experience.
Gomez’s ability to play across the defence makes him particularly valuable, especially during a season where Liverpool will be competing on several fronts.
Endo brings something different in midfield.
If Iraola needs more defensive security in certain matches, having an experienced holding midfielder available could prove useful.
Getting them both minutes during the international break could therefore be a smart move.
And then there is McConnell.
The young midfielder has already shown that he can contribute, and another strong performance could give Iraola something else to think about when the first-team squad returns.
This could be a very useful fortnight
The international break is frustrating because Liverpool’s momentum has been interrupted.
But Iraola can still make it productive.
Most of his first-team players are away representing their countries, so he can’t work with his full squad.
But the players who remain can train.
They can recover.
They can work on individual areas.
And some of them can play competitive football.
Rochdale provides the first opportunity. Doncaster provides another.
For the academy players, these are chances to impress.
For the senior fringe players, they’re chances to get minutes.
And for Iraola, they’re opportunities to learn more about the depth of his squad.
Liverpool are going to need that depth.
Because when the fixtures start piling up again, there won’t be time to discover who is ready.
The players need to be ready before the opportunity arrives.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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