Tribal Football

Liverpool wonderkid Nyoni set to start in EFL Cup clash against Southampton

Zack Oaten
Liverpool wonderkid Nyoni set to start in EFL Cup clash against Southampton
Liverpool wonderkid Nyoni set to start in EFL Cup clash against SouthamptonAction Plus
Liverpool youngster Trey Nyoni is set to start against Southampton in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night as manager Arne Slot gives more opportunities to young players.

The much-loved 17-year-old is reportedly set to make his full debut for the Reds as Slot rotates his side to allow fresh talent to earn minutes on the pitch in an attempt to break into the first team. 

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This is a similar approach used by his predecessor Jurgen Klopp who did exactly that in last year's final against Chelsea, finishing the match with a team that had a shocking average age of just 24 years and 172 days. 

The Times reports the talented midfielder who has impressed many in recent years is the first name on the team sheet. Nyoni managed 26 minutes against Brighton in the EFL Cup already this season as the Reds progressed with a 3-2 victory. 

Slot spoke about the teenager earlier this campaign and stated that training with the first team has boosted him to the next level meaning he could be ready for the Premier League in the coming months. 

“We are taking good care of him and we are aware of him. He only just became 17 and that's probably also the reason why people see him as such a talent, because he has already shown some interesting things at his age. 

“I think what you say is true, he is a young player — really young, but with a lot of talent. He had some impact in pre-season and when he played against Seville he even scored a goal. 

“So, a talent but only being a talent is not enough to play on a regular basis for the first team, so we need to keep developing him. He needs playing time to develop and that's why sometimes as a manager you feel like, "We might need him with the first team, but it's so, so important for him to keep playing his games." 

“Training with the likes of all the midfielders and players we have helps him to develop as well.”