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Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool’s young center-backs to seize the opportunity provided by Virgil van Dijk’s injury.
Van Dijk is unlikely to play again this season as he prepares for surgery on the damaged ACL in his right leg after an X-rated challenge from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford last weekend.
With Joel Matip also absent, 19-year-old defender Rhys Williams made his Champions League bow as a substitute in a 1-0 win over Ajax on Wednesday.
The teenager, who was on loan to the Kidderminster Harriers of the National League North last season, had made his debut for the senior Reds alongside Van Dijk in the Carabao Cup tie in Lincoln City last month.
And with Nat Phillips and Billy Koumetio also part of the team, Klopp believes there will be opportunities for youngsters to impress in the months ahead.
“It’s a good story,” said the Reds boss of Williams’ European goal. “I saw in his eyes after the game that he was quite impressed by that occasion.
“He is a great talent, not only physically great, but he is a real talent. It’s good to have him around.
“He played out of the league last year and that makes him special.
“As always in life, when something bad happens, when the dust settles, you can see opportunities again.
“It’s about doing the right things at the right time. For Rhys it was his first Champions League minutes ”.
Klopp revealed that Phillips, a longtime target of several championship clubs, was expected to leave Liverpool on the deadline earlier this month only for the transfer to fail.
Koumetio, a 17-year-old French Under-18 international, appeared with the first team during the preseason and has recently been regaining the sharpness of the game after injury.
And Klopp said, “With our situation, we have Nat Phillips here too and Billy the kid and they’re really close.
“Nat Phillips we thought he would be transferred, but at the last second it didn’t happen.
“We already brought him back from Stuttgart for a game last season against Everton where he did very well.
“These are solutions for us and they help us a lot. The guys are great and it’s a great opportunity for them. “
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