Liverpool are reportedly in talks with Preston North End over prematurely terminating the loan deal of right-back Calvin Ramsay.
The Reds' defensive injury crisis worsened in their 2-0 FA Cup third-round win over Arsenal at the weekend, where it was revealed that Trent Alexander-Arnold had hyperextended his knee.
Assistant manager Pep Lijnders has confirmed that Alexander-Arnold will be sidelined for "a few weeks", joining fellow full-backs Andrew Robertson (shoulder) and Kostas Tsimikas (collarbone) on the sidelines.
Neither Robertson nor Tsimikas are expected to return to first-team action before February, and their absences have forced Jurgen Klopp to deploy Joe Gomez as an emergency left-back, a role he has taken on well in recent weeks.
However, Gomez is now the only fit experienced full-back option in Klopp's ranks, and with the Englishman still required on the left-hand side, it is expected that Conor Bradley will enjoy a run at right-back while Alexander-Arnold is missing.
© Reuters
Klopp also has the option of using Owen Beck, who returned from a successful loan spell at Dundee earlier this month, while fellow academy product Luke Chambers is an option on the left-hand side of the backline.
The injury-hit Reds could be about to bolster their rearguard further with another unplanned recall, as This Is Anfield claims that the club are discussing a potential end to Ramsay's loan stint with Preston.
The former Aberdeen youngster joined the Championship side for the 2023-24 campaign on the back of a disrupted first season with Liverpool, where he played just two senior games and five Under-21 matches due to back and knee problems.
Ramsay's fitness woes have continued to bedevil him at Deepdale, and he did not make his debut for Ryan Lowe's side until the final weekend of November, having suffered a setback in his recovery from his knee issue.
The 20-year-old made just two appearances for Preston before being sidelined once again with COVID-19, and despite making a full recovery, he continues to be overlooked for selection by Lowe.
Lowe recently said that Ramsay has simply been "unfortunate" in his bid to return to matchday squads and did not rule out the prospect of the defender returning to Anfield, telling the Lancashire Evening Post: "Well, there is a possibility with everything.
© Reuters
"Again, you look at him not playing enough games; he wanted to come here and play and force his way in - which is why we signed him, to compete with Pottsy (Brad Potts). The injury set him back, then he played and then Covid set him back. He's now finding himself out of the squad, but there is a possibility with everything. We will do what is best for us and the player as well.
"Calvin has got the opportunity every day, like most players, to get back into the squad. I had a brief chat with him the other day about it and he's obviously disappointed he is not in and around the squad - because he feels he can help and get into the team. The problem he has got is that we've got someone like Brad Potts, who has been one of our most outstanding performers since I came through the door.
"We have also got cover in there who can fill that void, whether it is Alan Browne or Ali McCann - if it's right wing-back. And if it's right back, the defenders can go across there so I've got to pick a team and squad I feel can help us in games. And if we need to make changes in game, from the bench. He's just a little bit unfortunate.
"I think the Covid thing really has set him back because the squad we've had from then has been the squad more or less. But yeah, he's definitely available for selection if needed."
Liverpool paid £4.4m to prise Ramsay away from Aberdeen in the summer of 2022, and the one-cap Scotland international is under contract with the Reds until the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
The Merseyside giants have already recalled Beck, Rhys Williams, James Balagizi and Fabio Carvalho from loan spells this month, while Nat Phillips's unsuccessful stint with Celtic has also come to an end.
