18-year-old 'top prospect' called up for Liverpool Champions League challenge

Liverpool have been undergoing a bit of a crisis results-wise in recent weeks.

The Premier League champions have lost four matches on the bounce - three in the top flight against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United - and another in the Champions League against Galatasaray.

Quite where Arne Slot and his underperforming charges go from here is anyone’s guess - with a crucial European showdown against Eintracht Frankfurt coming tonight.

One of the issues facing the Reds at present is injuries.

Liverpool's big goalkeeper changes

Giovanni Leoni, Alisson Becker, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch are all sidelined for the game at Frankfurt’s Waldstadion.

The loss of Alisson, 33, has been particularly profound. The goalkeeper was injured during the Champions League loss against Galatasaray a few weeks back - suffering another hamstring injury.

It doesn’t look like the Brazil No1 will be available until after the November international window - meaning plenty more first-team football for Giorgi Mamardashvili.

The Georgian shot-stopper came on board from Valencia for an initial £24m - and has been thrust in at the deep end following Alisson’s injury.

Kornel Misciur called up by Arne Slot

Liverpool’s goalkeeper department saw big changes over the summer - with Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman and Armin Pecsi all coming in to the club.

On the way out meanwhile were Caoimhin Kelleher, Jakub Ojrzynski and Reece Trueman on permanent deals while Harvey Davies and Vitezslav Jaros departed on loan.

The scale of those changes is reflected in the makeup of Liverpool’s travelling party for the Frankfurt game. Among the 21 players included are Mamardashvili, Woodman and a surprise selection in the shape of Kornel Misciur.

While the English-born goalkeeper is not expected to play, it is nonetheless interesting that the 18-year-old has got the call-up.

Kornel Misciur "a top prospect"

“Kornel Misciur, 18-year-old goalkeeper, named in the travelling for the Liverpool first-team to Frankfurt,” Lewis Bower writes on X.

“Personally rate him very highly but having a strange season in terms of hierarchy. Very talented, felt on verge of breakout but dropped to U18 from U21 with no #UYL app.”

Bower, a Liverpool academy expert, previously described Misciur as a “top prospect”. He secured his first professional contract with the Reds back in 2024 having initially been recruited from Hull City in 2023.

However, he appears to have fallen behind Pecsi and even Bailey Hall and Fabian Mrozek in the underage pecking order but will no doubt be hoping to learn from the experience of travelling with Arne Slot’s first team.

He has featured three times at U18 level this term - conceding eight on his last outing versus Blackburn.

The Poland underage international will also be among the club’s Uefa Youth League ranks as they take on their Frankfurt U19 counterparts today.

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