Jayden Danns has endured a frustrating spell with injuries at Liverpool and was named on the bench for the third consecutive Champions League game in Tuesday’s 4-3 win over Villarreal at Anfield.
The 20-year-old has not featured for the first team since September last year, having subsequently suffered a serious hamstring injury before another setback during his comeback with the U21s in March.
Danns also saw a potential loan move to Sunderland in January 2025 fall through due to a back problem, which ruled him out for the remainder of that campaign and Liverpool’s pre-season preparations.
He was expected to be involved in Andoni Iraola’s first pre-season as head coach but missed out through another injury and has since been working on his fitness with the U21s.
The forward has featured in the EFL Trophy draw against Rochdale and all five Premier League 2 matches so far, including the first half of the dramatic 1-0 home win over Reading at the weekend.
U21s head coach Rob Page believes the priority now is to build up Danns’ playing time as he works towards earning more regular involvement in the first-team squad.
“His fitness is good,” said Page. “It was always part of the plan that some games he will play and others he won’t. Sometimes he will play 45. It depends on what his training load has been throughout the week.
“If he has done enough work during the week, it might just be that he is getting game time. It’s not about 90 minutes – it’s about game time to get his sharpness so that he is ready when he is called on.
“He’s ready to go. It’s just like with any of these top athletes, you have to manage the load throughout the week and be sensible about it.”
Danns joined Liverpool’s Academy at the age of eight and made his senior debut in February 2024, aged 18, coming off the bench against Luton Town in the Premier League.
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