There is a particular kind of anxiety that takes hold of Merseyside in the days leading up to a visit from Manchester City. It isn’t fear, per se Anfield has witnessed far too many European royalty and domestic juggernauts humbled under the lights to ever truly tremble but rather a sharp tension.
When Enzo Maresca’s side arrive on Sunday, everyone knows the margins between a brilliant win and a massive frustration are paper-thin. Every tactical choice gets debated in the pubs around Walton Breck Road, and every single injury update from the AXA Training Centre feels like a huge story.
Which brings us to the quiet dilemma building in Liverpool’s medical room ahead of Sunday’s clash.
When news broke during the international break that both Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo returned early from international duty, a collective groan went around the fanbase. Isak’s thigh injury and Gakpo’s ankle issue suddenly left Liverpool’s forward line looking very light at the worst possible time. Naturally, supporters immediately started looking at the youth ranks for an emergency answer.
So, when 20-year-old Jayden Danns was left out of the Under-21 squad for Tuesday night’s EFL Trophy game at Doncaster Rovers, fans joined the dots. The assumption was simple: Danns was being kept safe, wrapped in cotton wool, and saved for a surprise appearance off the bench against City on Sunday.
It’s the classic Liverpool story a young academy striker stepping up to save the day when the senior stars are out. But the reality is that's not the case anymore.
Liverpool are playing it completely safe with the young forward after he felt a bit of stiffness during the break. That means he won't be called up for senior duty this weekend. Danns has had terrible luck with injuries over the past year, and while this latest issue isn't serious, the medical staff refuse to rush him back.
Speaking after the U21s' 1-0 defeat at Doncaster, manager Rob Page explained why Danns was missing:
"He pulled out of training last week, just felt something, wasn’t quite comfortable," Page explained. "We’re not going to take any chances; there’s no need at all. So he’s alright. He’s been training, but we didn’t think it was a risk that we wanted to take. He’s fit, [but] we thought it’s better for him to have two training days than to come and have half an hour, 45 minutes in this game."
As fans, it’s a bit of a shame. You always want to see a young lad get his chance, especially when options are tight. But protecting his long-term health makes total sense.
Danns hasn't played competitive football since late September, and throwing him into a intense game against Maresca’s City side without match sharpness could do more harm than good. His next game will likely be for the U21s against Reading in ten days' time.
Without Danns leading the attack on Tuesday, the U21s struggled to take their chances and lost 1-0 after a late first-half goal from Doncaster's Tommi O'Reilly. But 18-year-old forward Will Wright still managed to give fans something to talk about, smashing an incredible long-range effort off the crossbar.
Page praised Wright's confidence after the game while reflecting on where the team missed out:
"That’s the place he’s in at the minute, he’s full of confidence," Page said on Will Wright. "The technique to even consider taking on that opportunity is something. It was moments like that, they were the only things we had in the game first half, we didn’t really create that many chances.
By changing the shape, defensively as well, in turn gave us that extra body in the middle of the park to match their four. I thought we were much better second half, the much better team in the second half and then we created more chances. But that final decision again in the final third, that final action, let us down a little bit."
Reiterating the decision on Danns, Page added: "He pulled out of training last week, he just felt something and wasn’t quite comfortable. We’re not going to take any chances, there’s no need at all. He’s trained. He’s been training but we didn’t think it was a risk we wanted to take. He’s fit, he’s training and we thought it was better for him to have two training days than to come and have half an hour, 45 minutes in this game."
So, where does this leave Liverpool ahead of Sunday?
The good news is that Bradley Barcola, Rio Ngumoha, Lewis Koumas, and Victor Munoz all came back from international duty fit and healthy. But with Danns definitely out of the picture for the first team, all eyes remain on the medical room to see if Isak or Gakpo can recover in time to face Maresca's side.
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