Liverpool teenager Josh Abe faces an injury blow after a breakthrough summer with both the Academy and the senior squad.
The highly-rated 16-year-old wide player, who joined the club at just four years old, was being tracked by several top European clubs before choosing to sign a long-term deal with the Reds in June.
He subsequently travelled with Andoni Iraola’s senior team for their United States pre-season tour, featuring in matches against Sunderland and Wrexham, before netting on his first appearance for the U21s in a friendly against Huddersfield Town.
Having played in Liverpool’s U18 Premier League North defeat at Manchester City last weekend, Abe now finds himself sidelined after picking up a shoulder problem.
According to Page, the shoulder popped out and then back in again. He noted that Abe has apparently had this issue previously, so it is not considered serious. He explained that it is simply something Abe is having to manage at the moment, wearing a sling as a precaution, and the medical team will assess the situation.
With Abe ruled out, Liverpool’s U21 side kicked off their Premier League 2 season on Friday evening with a hard-fought 1-1 result in the local derby against Everton at Goodison Park.
Both teams finished the match with ten players after Reds goalkeeper Harvey Davies was shown a red card in the 87th minute for a professional foul, and Everton striker Braiden Graham was sent off in stoppage time following a confrontation involving players from both sides.
Page described it as a physical encounter and a proper derby. He said he was proud of the lads for demonstrating character, noting they had to battle hard when reduced to ten men at the end.
Regarding performance, Page said they are not satisfied and there are areas they will need to address. He explained that they opted for an alternative system, deploying a 4-4-2 shape because they had Figgy and Will available. He acknowledged that they struggled to establish numerical superiority centrally initially, but when they made adjustments at the interval and focused on switching the play to create space, that improved their second-half display.
Taking everything into account, Page said they are satisfied with a point and very happy with the players’ application. He noted there are a few bumps and bruises, but added that it is a local derby with both teams fully committed.
With Liverpool having already used their permitted substitutions before Davies’ dismissal, 18-year-old centre-back Mor Talla Ndiaye was forced to take over in goal for the remainder of the match.
Page expressed tremendous admiration for Mor, noting he has played between the posts previously. He described Ndiaye as a tremendous character and a shrewd acquisition. According to Page, his display was excellent regardless, with his distribution and understanding of the game, knowing when to dribble out, being outstanding, along with his defensive work.
Ndiaye was required to make one save during the closing stages, and Page noted that the execution was not pretty, but as a centre-half, they will give him a pass on that one, as it was a decent stop by him. He added that Ndiaye’s goal kicks put their regular goalkeepers to shame, and they have made that abundantly clear to them. Page stated that Ndiaye will be taking goal kicks from now on.