Arne Slot should give 'frightening' Liverpool player his second ever start vs Southampton - opinion
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Liverpool are expected to heavily rotate their team for their third round League Cup tie.
There is no rest for the wicked as the Reds’ busy schedule continues, and up next for them is Southampton in the EFL Cup on Tuesday night.
This is the fourth game Liverpool have already played this month, and with another two to go after this, Arne Slot will use this tie to give some other stars a run out.
Many youngsters are expected to be called up to the first-team squad and some will even start, while a lot of the fringe players will also get an opportunity to shine.
And there is one player in particular who will be keen to impress, especially as he is already on the brink of regular minutes in the biggest competitions, with this his chance to set another reminder.
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As mentioned, Slot will make some drastic changes to his team ahead of this one, and no one is really too sure on every player that he will pick.
However, one that should be a nailed on starter is Rio Ngumoha, with the 17-year-old deserving of his chance from the off.
So far, he has played second fiddle to Cody Gakpo, but due to the sheer magnitude of the games, has barely seen any minutes off the bench.
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Of course, he got that crucial last-minute winner against Newcastle and had a few minutes since, but he is yet to get more than 16 minutes in a game, this coming against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
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So, the expectation is that the young Englishman, who has been described as ‘frightening’ at points this season, will get at least an hour under his belt, with a full 90 minutes even better.
There is no denying that he deserves his shot either, with Andy Robertson confirming that he is very professional off the pitch as well, with his hard work now having the chance to pay off.
Against a struggling Championship side too, Ngumoha could really cause them problems, with the 17-year-old likely to be one of the biggest threats in the XI that Slot fields.
Not only is this game important for Ngumoha in terms of minutes, but it could also be key in how quickly he gets his chance from the start in the Premier League.
Gakpo has underperformed in the last few games, with many fans calling for the Dutchman to be dropped from the team altogether.
And, with no other natural left-winger at the club other than Ngumoha, this could be his chance to really lay down a marker and prove why he should replace him.
Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike can also play out there, meaning that he does have stiff competition, but based on the potential he has, the 17-year-old could be about to properly burst onto the scene.