Liverpool given EXTRAORDINARY Rio Ngumoha boost | OneFootball

Liverpool get the news they wanted

In an official announcement by England, it's been confirmed that Ngumoha will not be on the plane for the competition. Of course, this might be disappointing news for the winger, considering how special it is to represent your country on a grand stage.

However, the Reds will be absolutely delighted to still a player of his calibre available in Arne Slot's first-team squad, given the impact he's had so far this season, after getting called up in the summer.

At 17 years old, it's remarkable how composed he is when playing with teammates who are more experienced than him, but he's more than capable of holding his own. He's managed to play just 125 minutes for Liverpool so far in five appearances, but one cameo resulted in a 100th minute winner.

It's clear that with time, he'll go from strength to strength. Right now, however, it's just about making sure his fitness is being managed properly so that his development isn't stunted by a major injury.

Upon closer inspection, Ngumoha not being picked to feature in England's U17 team is not quite as surprising as you think, since he's been recently promoted to play for the under-19 side instead. But he would still have qualified for the lower age competition, so nothing was certain.

Given how often Cody Gakpo is playing for Liverpool right now, it's likely that the wonderkid will get more chances moving forward, even if it's just part of a rotation plan. It's rare that he doesn't make the most of an opportunity, so the Dutchman will be constantly pushed throughout the season.

As such, it's a major boost to know that Ngumoha will be remaining on Merseyside. Not only does it suggest that he's highly regarded - being exclusively seen as an U19 player now - but the Reds can use him rather than having to move players to play over at left-wing when Gakpo is unavailable.