Jurgen Klopp watches Liverpool suffer a double injury to the striker as they claim the summer bets

Liverpool rose to the top of Premier League 2, but there was little appetite for celebration among the Reds’ youth.

The Under-23s edged the pace, Derby County, on goal difference after a hard-won goalless draw against Southampton on Saturday afternoon in Kirkby.

But the game was overshadowed by injuries to strike duo Paul Glatzel and Joe Hardy, who recently returned from extended absences.

Glatzel was kicked in the right ankle during the first half that eventually forced him to retire at halftime, then left on crutches and with a knee brace.

Hardy, meanwhile, had only been on the field for a few moments as a late substitute when he was caught by a poor tackle from Southampton’s Alexandre Jankewitz, who somehow avoided receiving a second yellow card and a subsequent red card.

The Reds forward required lengthy treatment before leaving on a stretcher and heading to the hospital for a scan for a leg injury.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and his first team coaching staff watched the first 45 minutes from the bench at Kirkby, their first chance to participate in an Academy match since moving into their new $ 50 million training facility. pounds on the same site.

They watched the young Reds get closer to breaking the deadlock as Liam Millar ended a strong run down the left flank by slamming a right hand into the post.

Substitute Fidel O’Rourke headed off a Luis Longstaff corner in the second half after Caoimhin Kelleher held Southampton at bay with a handful of decent saves shortly after the break.

Glatzel twilight after a good start

Paul Glatzel had done very well.

The forward, only making his third competitive outing of the season, was becoming a nuisance among the Southampton defense.

An early opportunity brought a clever save from Southampton keeper Kingsley Latham, who was found by a good pass from Conor Bradley.

The move familiar to anyone who has seen Glatzel pass through the ranks was evident when, later in the first half, he forced two major blocks from the Southampton defense after good passes from Matteo Ritaccio and Luis Longstaff.

Those came after Glatzel had received prolonged treatment by being caught for a challenge to his right ankle.

Previous injury issues, including ACL damage that caused him to be missed all of last season, mean there is concern whenever the young forward hits the platform.

And the alarms sounded even louder when Glatzel took an age to leave the field at halftime, intercepted when Klopp limped away, who had words of encouragement for the forward.

The teenager was unable to reappear during the second half. And with Hardy also broke, it seems even the Academy is not exempt from the curse of injuries that afflicts Liverpool today.

They are catching up

Rhys Williams has appeared in the Champions League. Nat Phillips has taken a Premier League bow.

And Billy Koumetio has been verified by Jurgen Klopp since he showed up during the preseason.

However, one player who has rarely been involved in the conversation about Liverpool’s central defense options is Sepp van den Berg.

Having come in for £ 1.3 million last year, the Dutchman has not been used by Klopp this period after four appearances last season.

But with the Reds boss watching, this was an opportunity to impress, and in the first half he dealt comfortably with Van den Berg with the pace and power of threats from Southampton, Tyreke Johnson and Kazeem Oliagbe.

There was a moment of panic when a header back to Caoimhin Kelleher came up short and Johnson threw a wide pitch, but that was largely due to the dire conditions.

Van den Berg walked Johnson away from a shooting opportunity after the break and was vocal throughout in organizing the baseline.

At 18, the defender still has a lot of time on his side. A January loan deal, however, may be your best route to experience this campaign.

Tyler the creator

So continues the rise of Tyler Morton.

The midfielder, who turned 18 last month, has been tremendously impressive for the Under-18s this season and, with Jake Cain and Leighton Clarkson training with the first team, he made his first Under-23 outing here.

An encouraging display was about to be crowned with a goal when, after winning a free kick on the edge of the penalty area, Morton fired a powerful shot into the upper corner that Latham did well to repel.

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Joining him in midfield, Thomas Clayton drew attention in a supporting role as Matteo Ritaccio made his starting debut at this level.

And solid once again were 17-year-old right-back Conor Bradley and, on the other defensive flank, 18-year-old Owen Beck.

Liverpool U23 are next in action next Saturday when they host Manchester City at the Academy (kickoff at 1pm).

LIVERPOOL U23 (4-3-3): Kelleher; Bradley, Van den Berg, Savage, Beck; Clayton, Morton, Ritaccio (Sharif 56); Longstaff (Hardy 82), Glatzel (O’Rourke 46), Millar. Subs: Ojrzynski, Larouci.