8 months ago
186 Liverpool take on Sparta Prague in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tonight – but one player is not actually allowed to feature.
Jurgen Klopp takes his side to the epet ARENA – where the Reds attempt to clear the first hurdle of the knockout phase and eventually send the German off with a first ever UEFA Europa League title.
So, which Liverpool player is not allowed to feature against Sparta Prague? Let’s take a look…
Why Trey Nyoni cannot play for Liverpool against Sparta Prague
Well, Trey Nyoni made his Liverpool debut in the recent 3-0 FA Cup win over Southampton.
Klopp was always unlikely to call upon someone so young in a UEFA Europa League Round of 16 clash anyway, but the 16-year-old cannot play any part against Sparta Prague even if the 56-year-old wanted to use him.
Why? Well – as per UEFA regulations – a footballer needs to have two uninterrupted years with a club in order to feature on the B list in European competition, unless they are named on the initial A list, which Nyoni was not.
Liverpool signed the teenager – who Virgil van Dijk recently called “incredible” – from Leicester City back in September 2023, so he still has a way to go until he reaches two uninterrupted seasons with the Reds.
The same rule means Amara Nallo – who was spotted in training – also cannot feature against Sparta Prague if Klopp wanted to field him.
Liverpool now in better shape
If Klopp was still without a number of senior players, this rule may have been more problematic.
However – as detailed on Liverpool’s official website – both Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai are back to full fitness, which comes as a major boost to the Reds and lessens the reliance on youth players.
Of course, it would have been nice for Nyoni and Nallo to still get the experience of being involved in a European squad, but the precocious duo’s time will surely come.
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