Liverpool remain in the hunt for every piece of silverware this season, which means Jurgen Klopp is likely to stick with his tried and tested players throughout the season.
However, given that the Africa Cup of Nations will see Liverpool without Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane for an extended period, we could see Klopp give some of the younger players a chance in some of the cup competitions as the German prioritises the Premier League and Champions League.
Youngsters are always a reason of pride in any sport. Either it’s the NBA Picks Powered by The Quant Edge predicting the NBA Rookie Of The Year or a football team seeing their young lad getting the Golden Boy award.
Liverpool fans surely know they have some academy players that could succeed to this year’s Golden Boy Pedri in the near future.
So, which young stars could we see Klopp give a chance to shine in the second half of the 2021-22 season?
Tyler Morton
One youngster that Liverpool fans could be seeing a lot more of this season is Tyler Morton. The 19-year-old made his Premier League debut as a substitute in the Reds recent 4-0 win over Arsenal, and also made his first competitive appearance earlier in the season in the EFL Cup against Norwich.
Morton is highly regarded by Klopp and the club and is the current captain of the U23 side. The 19-year-old is likely to be used more as a substitute in the league throughout the season by the German, but could be well positioned for a first competitive start for the club in the FA Cup later on in the season.
However, breaking into a midfield that already consists of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago looks set to be a big challenge for this talented youngster.
Luke Chambers
The left-back position for the Reds is one that looks set to be dominated by Andrew Robertson for years to come. However, in the youth team, the Reds could have the perfect understudy for the Scotsman. Luke Chambers signed his first professional deal with the Anfield giants in the summer, and is once again a highly respected member of the U21 side. Chambers has been with the club since joining the academy aged six, and has developed into a versatile star that looks set to have a bright future at the club.
As well as playing left-back, the 17-year-old is also comfortable in central defence, as he showed when playing there for the young Reds side in the UEFA Youth League. However, his main traits see him shine in the full-back position, and he could be destined to feature in the second half of the season, albeit from the substitute bench.
Melkamu Frauendorf
One of the most exciting youngsters currently in the Liverpool youth team is Melkamu Frauendorf. The Germany U17 international, has featured heavily for the youth team throughout this season, and has already delivered goals in abundance.
He has scored three goals and registered three assists in the U18 Premier League for Liverpool and has scored once in three games in the UEFA Youth League. Frauendorf still has work to do before we can claim he is the finished product, but he is certainly developing at the rate that many at the club would have been hoping for.
Once again, versatility is a big part of Frauendorf’s game, as he can play in the number ten position, as well as out wide. The fact that he can play in a number of attacking areas means that he may be one of the academy players that Klopp has his eyes on when he loses Salah and Mane to the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
Nonetheless, it’s unlikely that he will get starts during that time, but he could be used should Divock Origi or Takumi Minamino pick up any knocks during that period. He could be a player that Liverpool fans will be hearing a lot more about over the coming seasons.