With Liverpool’s exit from the FA Cup, Champions League and defeat in the Carabao Cup final, the chances of several players getting game time before the season ends seem to have evaporated.
The only task left for the Reds is to secure the Premier League title, with a comfortable 12-point lead almost guaranteeing them victory in the remaining nine matches. Head coach Arne Slot is expected to field his strongest team as he aims to clinch the title in his debut season at Anfield.
This could be bad news for a few fringe players who were hoping for some action before the summer transfer window, where anything can happen.
One squad member who may have already said his goodbyes to the Anfield crowd is Caoimhin Kelleher. The Irish number one has featured in 44 club games since the start of last season, but it seems unlikely that he will continue to play second fiddle to Alisson for another year.
Even if he wished to stay, Liverpool’s goalkeeping department is set for a shake-up with the arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili, who agreed to join last summer but stayed on at Valencia for one more season.
If Kelleher’s chances of a farewell appearance are slim, they’re even slimmer for third-choice keeper Viteszlav Jaros. The Czech international has made two appearances for the first team this season, which is all he has to show for his eight-year tenure. With his contract due to expire at the end of June, it seems his time at Liverpool is drawing to a close.
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Tyler Morton has been a part of Slot’s squad this season following two successful loan spells in the Championship. However, he’s only made five appearances throughout the campaign, and in January, he openly declared his readiness to ‘kick on and be a proper professional’.
Morton is currently out with a shoulder injury and it’s uncertain whether he’ll return before the season concludes.
Several other Liverpool players have spent the season playing for other clubs, and there is a chance they won’t be reintegrated into the team.
Ben Doak has impressed during his loan spell at Middlesbrough and is expected to attract permanent offers in the summer, just as he did in January. The same could be said for Stefan Bajcetic, whose underwhelming stints with Red Bull Salzburg and Las Palmas haven’t done much to boost his chances of breaking into Slot’s senior side.
Nat Phillips appears set to depart after six loan spells and nearly 10 years at the club. The 27-year-old’s contract expires in June, by which time he will have finished his season-long stint at Derby County.
Rhys Williams, who was a regular feature during the injury-riddled 2020/21 season, might be put up for sale after spending this season with fourth-tier Morecambe. The 24-year-old has just over a year left on his contract and hasn’t played for Liverpool in almost four years.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Express by clicking here.
