One Liverpool youngster is set to be given a welcome opportunity to start during a loan spell which, in the words of one journalist, has been ‘hard’ for him so far.
Fabio Carvalho is spending the 2023/24 campaign at RB Leipzig after struggling to establish himself in the first team at his parent club, but a change of scenery hasn’t necessarily brought about a change of fortunes.
The 21-year-old has played just 44 minutes across the Bundesliga team’s six matches so far this season, with that limited game-time accrued in three substitute appearances (Transfermarkt).
However, when Marco Rose’s side face German second tier outfit Wehen Wiesbaden in cup action next week, that should open the door for the attacker to get his first start for his current side.
In his latest column for CaughtOffside, Christian Falk wrote: “In Fabio Carvalho’s position, Dani Olmo normally plays. He’s injured but there are other more experienced players available like Emil Forsberg and Christoph Baumgartner, so it’s not easy for him.
“Marco Rose will rotate his team in the coming matches and everyone thinks Carvalho will get his chance in the starting-XI when Leipzig play Wehen Wiesbaden in the DFB Pokal. It’s hard for him at the moment, as there’s plenty of competition.”
Little more than a year ago, Carvalho’s future at Liverpool seemed bright, having scored in consecutive Premier League games against Bournemouth and Newcastle, the latter being a 98th-minute winner at Anfield.
However, it proved to be something of a false dawn as he dropped out of the first-team frame later in the season, hence the loan move to Leipzig in search of a fresh start.
It quite hasn’t happed for him yet in Germany even with the injury to Olmo, so if the youngster gets opportunities such as the one for which he’s been earmarked in the DFB Pokal next Wednesday, he simply has to make the most of it.
The route back into contention at Liverpool won’t be easy given the sheer level of competition in midfield and up front at Anfield, but a change of circumstances could possibly open the door for Carvalho in the future.
Some circumstances will be outside his control, but whenever he’s given his opportunity by Rose, it’s up to the 21-year-old to take it. That’ll be his best chance of getting a prolonged run of games in Leipzig and, in turn, impressing sufficiently to convince Klopp of his long-term worth to the Reds.