Injury concerns are mounting at Anfield, leading Liverpool to promote some of their promising young talents to the senior squad.
One such talent likely to make the leap is academy graduate Lewis Koumas, who was observed participating in first-team training sessions this week. Manager Jurgen Klopp has cited a team-wide ‘flu’ outbreak as the reason for turning to the club’s emerging players.
Despite their strong start to the season, positioning themselves as contenders for the title, Liverpool’s campaign is under threat due to an increasing number of injuries. Joining the ranks of absentees are key players Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Amid the current flu outbreak, Klopp has turned to the Liverpool academy for reinforcements, both in matches and training sessions. Koumas, a promising teenager, has recently been observed training with the team.
Having made 14 appearances across Under-18 and Under-21 levels, the 18-year-old has impressed with 10 goals and three assists. His performance has sparked speculation about his potential future with the Reds.
Koumas is the son of Jason Koumas, a former Wales international with a storied career. Starting in the Liverpool academy, Jason Koumas went on to play for Tranmere Rovers, West Brom, and Wigan, experiencing the highs and lows of professional football.
Jason, 44, was widely recognised as a promising talent capable of competing at the highest level. Despite this, he never fully realised his potential and concluded his career with 20 appearances for the Wales national team.
The former midfielder is often regarded as an enigmatic figure due to his natural talent not translating into sustained success. After retiring, he chose to maintain a low profile, avoiding interviews, punditry, and sponsorship deals, making it difficult for many to locate him today.
His son, Lewis, hopes to avoid a similar path as his father, who was released by Liverpool without making a debut. However, the likelihood of this seems low, given the praise Lewis received from Liverpool youth manager Barry Lewtas last year. Lewtas stated:
“Lewis has been brilliant for us, he really has. He’s a real energetic frontline player, loves to run in behind, he is aggressive in how he approaches the game and has really good technique.
“He is a really good footballer. He has fitted in great with the lads, he has a fantastic character and he just gets on with it, he really does.
“The other day when we were talking about Lewis, you forget he is still an U18 player. He has really matured the way he plays. Against Barrow, playing against a senior backline, I thought he was great for us and for them, he was an absolute nuisance, the way he played and approached the game.
“I’m really pleased for Lewis. He has shown good versatility playing across the frontline this season and he is a player who has made massive progress this year.”
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