A number of Liverpool players will view pre-season as their big chance to sufficiently impress Arne Slot so that they’ll be handed frequent first-team opportunities at Anfield over the next 12 months.
The Reds’ new head coach gave 25 squad members a runout in the friendly defeat to Preston three days ago, with many of those expected to feature on the upcoming tour to USA. According to Football Insider, Fabio Carvalho is one of those whose immediate future is set to be decided in the next couple of weeks.
The Dutchman wants to utilise the 21-year-old in the Stateside friendlies before making a judgement on whether or not to retain the forward. That decision is set to be made once LFC return from their transatlantic engagements.
Two years on from his move from Fulham, this summer feels like a pivotal one in terms of Carvalho’s Liverpool career, which got off to such a promising start after goals against Bournemouth and Newcastle in his first month at Anfield.
That unfortunately turned out to be a false dawn, with the attacker loaned to RB Leipzig and Hull City last season, having been recalled from the Bundesliga outfit due to a lack of game-time before flourishing at the MKM Stadium.
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He looks set to be given opportunities in the upcoming games against Real Betis, Arsenal and Manchester United, and that two-week window will likely go a long way towards determining whether he’s kept on Merseyside or allowed to go out on loan yet again (or possibly even be sold at a competitive price).
Competition for regular starts at Liverpool will be fiendish for Carvalho, but a few positive displays in pre-season could well put him into the frame to accrue plenty of apperances over the coming campaign, particularly when the fixtures pile up once the Champions League and domestic cups are in full swing.
The next fortnight is the youngster’s big chance to prove his worth to Slot and, potentially, lay the foundations for a lengthy career at Anfield, if all goes to plan.
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