Liverpool are hoping youngster, Kaide Gordon could get back to full training and into pre-season after more than a year on the sidelines.
Gordon made his first team breakthrough in impressive fashion last season. However, he hasn’t featured at any level since the 3-0 Premier League 2 defeat to Leeds United, 16 months ago.
The 18-year-old winger has been troubled by a pelvic problem linked to his physical growth. He has, for some time, been following a specialised training programme.
Gordon was seen running on the pitch at the AXA Training Centre last month and has also started tentative ball work. Although there has been no date fixed on his return, the Reds believe the player is much closer to resuming team training.
Gordon on the brink of Liverpool return?
Speaking to the media, the U21 Liverpool manager, Barry Lewtas said that it is complicated with injuries of these sorts.
“What is difficult with certain kind of injuries, especially with younger boys who are growing, they are complicated. It’s not like when you break a bone, then the bone heals and you crack on.
Some of these injuries are more complex, and unfortunately for Kaide it has been that. It has been linked to his growth, and Kaide is taller and bigger now than when he last played.
We always knew never to put a timeframe on it as we knew it could be a long one and we didn’t want to set his hopes too high, and wanted to keep him in the right frame of mind as well. It’s without raising expectations of anybody else as well, as he’s a player who has already made an impact in the first team. He’s been running around the pitch a little bit more, and we’ll see how he goes.”
The teenager also travelled to Austria for the pre-season training camp last summer. Later, He travelled to Dubai for the mid-season warm-weather camp during the World Cup break. Thus, Liverpool are keen to keep the teenager involved with the senior squad as much as possible.
Gordon’s achievements at Anfield
Gordon was signed from Derby County in February 2021 in a deal of around £3m. He made his senior team debut aged just 16 in the League Cup win at Norwich City in September 2021.
He went on to become the second-youngest scorer in the club’s history. It was when he scored in the FA Cup game against Shrewsbury Town in January 2022.
Later he made his Premier League debut from the bench against Brentford the following week. He became the youngest Liverpool player to start a major semi-final, featuring in the League Cup second-leg win against Arsenal.