Arne Slot suggests Liverpool teenager 'with a lot of talent' set to be involved against West Ham United

Arne Slot has suggested that Trey Nyoni will be involved in Liverpool’s Carabao Cup tie against West Ham United.

The Reds begin their defence of the silverware tomorrow night, having beaten Chelsea 1-0 in the Wembley final last season.

Slot is aiming to extend Liverpool’s record in the competition to a record 11 triumphs. Former manager Jurgen Klopp used the early rounds of the Carabao Cup to give younger players around his squad opportunities to impress. The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Caoimhin Kelleher and Conor Bradley all came through the ranks playing in the competition and have developed into first-teamers.

Nyoni signed for Liverpool from Leicester City in the summer of 2023. He’s highly regarded at the club, making his debut in a 3-0 victory over Southampton in the FA Cup last season when he was aged 16. The midfielder featured prominently during pre-season, scoring in a friendly win over Sevilla, and has trained regularly with Slot’s side this term.

The Reds’ under-21s face Harrogate Town in the EFL Trophy tonight. And while Slot is wary that Nyoni needs regular action to continue developing, a place in the squad against West Ham is more likely.

Liverpool’s head coach said at his pre-match press conference: “Let's see how everyone comes in this morning and then we will make a plan for every individual. But the way I look at it now, there's a fair chance of him being in our squad rather than being with the under-21s. He's a young player, really young, only just became 17 but with a lot of talent.

“He had some impact in pre-season and when he played against Sevilla, he scored a goal. He's a talent but only being a talent is not enough to play regularly in the first team. He needs playing time to develop and that's why sometimes as a manager you think: 'Oh, we might need him in the first time' but he needs game-time and that's why he played with the under-19s in Milan. 

“He needs to keep having game-time at the highest possible level and is training with all of the midfielders and players we have helps him. We're aware he's only 17 and that's probably why people see him as such a talent because he already showed some interesting things at his age.”