Manager Jurgen Klopp has been using younger players to ease the team's injury crisis.
Under 18s boss Marc Bridge-Wilkinson admits that means he also gets to use different players for his teams, given so many youngsters are working with the senior side.
It's a great time for the academy," stated Bridge-Wilkinson, talking to The Mail in Leeds after losing 3-1 to Leeds United in the FA Youth Cup quarter-final.
It's been a great week for the boys who have got opportunities for the first team. But it doesn't take anything away from where we are today. These boys (playing tonight) will learn a lot from where they are and hopefully in a year or month, they can get the same opportunity.
The reason we're here is to help young players get an opportunity for the first team. It's never a disappointment when players leave our group to step up - that's what we're paid to do. That's what we're here for.
The opportunity those boys got through injury or suspension, meant that these next boys got the chance to play for us (the Under 18s). Opportunity is king. We will give opportunities just as much as the first team do.
We talk about opportunity a lot. We talk about the boys who are not here, they leave a void. Whoever steps up has an opportunity to step in and perform. That continues all the way up and down the chain."