Given that he is currently working with a truncated squad, plenty of Liverpool youngsters are going to see plenty of minutes during the tour of the United States. Well, for Ifeanyi Ndukwe, his first appearance in red came earlier than anyone would've anticipated. In Saturday night's friendly against Sunderland in Nashville, Joe Gomez was forced off with a muscle injury in only the eighth minute. Thus, the teenager was introduced, partnering fellow 18 year old Mor Talla Ndiaye at centre-back.
Thereafter, he completed 97% of his passes and accumulated three defensive contributions as Andoni Iraola's side ran out 4-2 winners at Geodis Park. Given the porosity of defensive options, do not be surprised if Ndukwe starts at least one, if not both, of the other two matches of this U.S. tour. The Reds face Wrexham at Yankee Stadium in New York on Wednesday, before concluding the trip by taking on Leeds United at Soldier Field in Chicago next Sunday.
Despite this, Ndukwe will not be available to Iraola once the serious business begins in August. That is because, as reported by James Pearce of the Athletic, he does not have enough points to ascertain a work permit in the United Kingdom. Put succinctly, players gain points by earning senior international caps and playing a certain number of minutes in high-level competitions but, still only 18 years old, Ndukwe falls short of the meet this criteria.
Nevertheless, Pearce adds that Liverpool rate him very highly, so the plan is to send him out on loan, praising his "commanding presence" against Sunderland. Thus, the remainder of pre-season will be an opportunity for Ndukwe to showcase what he can do to potential suitors.
Who is Liverpool youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe?
Born and raised in Vienna, he has a Nigerian father and a Russian mother, so could face a tough choice about his senior international future down the line. To date though, he has only ever featured for Austria at youth level, most notably starting seven of eight matches as they reached the under-17 World Cup Final in 2025, eventually defeated 1-0 by Portugal at the Khalifa International Stadium.
At club level, Ndukwe joined Austria Wien as an eight year old, playing just one minute of senior football, but his performances in the youth teams convinced Liverpool to pay £2.5 million for his signature. This was agreed in January, not able to move until after his 18th birthday in March. Thus, the decision makers at AXA Training Centre clearly believe he has a future on Merseyside, but that will have to wait. It'll be interesting to see at what level he goes out on loan, given that he boasts next to no senior expirence.
Liverpool's current centre-back crisis
For now, as mentioned, Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye are currently in line to potentially start the two remaining fixtures of Liverpool's United States tour. That's because, as mentioned, Joe Gomez is set for a spell on the sidelines, following his injury in Tennessee.
Meantime, Giovanni Leoni is still a few weeks away from being available, after rupturing his ACL on debut against Southampton in the EFL Cup last September. Meantime, many were hoping to see Jérémy Jacquet against Sunderland but, given that he has not featured since February due to a shoulder injury, Iraola stated "we decided to take it easy with him", adding "he will play probably in the last game of this tour".
Lastly, after racking up more minutes for club and country than any other player in Europe last season, Virgil van Dijk will return to pre-season training next week, but will do so on Merseyside, so will not be available for the U.S. tour. Thus, fans will likely get to see plenty of Ndukwe, even if post-Brexit bureaucracy will prevent him from featuring in proper competitive matches.
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