Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has selected 19-year-old Trey Nyoni to make his first Premier League start against Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday, with Ryan Gravenberch left on the bench. Alexis Mac Allister will partner Nyoni in midfield, while Dominik Szoboszlai is unavailable due to injury.
Nyoni has appeared 20 times for Liverpool this season, including 14 league appearances and starts in the Champions League. He previously started alongside Gravenberch in Wednesday's Carabao Cup penalty victory over Chelsea.
Gravenberch, signed from Bayern Munich for €40 million in 2023, has made 149 appearances for Liverpool but has played only 12 games and 663 minutes this season, providing one assist. He returned from a one-game suspension for his red card against Manchester City to feature in the Brighton win.
Speaking on Sky Sports, pundit Jamie Carragher expressed concern about the decision's long-term impact on Gravenberch. "The first time as a youngster when you're ever picked ahead of what you think is an established player, it's always difficult, I think, for the senior player to ever recover from that," Carragher said. He described the selection as "a mighty blow" for the midfielder, noting that Iraola is signalling greater trust in Nyoni's potential.
Iraola explained his choice to Sky Sports: "It's not about me, it's about Trey. He has shown that he has the level. He covers a lot of space and he's aggressive without the ball, he's calm in possession and he's good in communicating with his team-mates."
Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge backed the decision, praising Nyoni's performances and acknowledging that Gravenberch "hasn't been at his best" while expressing confidence he can recover.
Source: goal.com
