Neil Jones has advised Liverpool fans not to ‘forget about’ Kaide Gordon, who the journalist has said will be ‘eased back’ into the fold as he continues his rehabilitation from a long-standing problem.
A pelvic growth issue has sidelined the young attacker for a year and a half (The Athletic), stunting his progress after impressing sufficiently to earn senior game-time at Anfield during the 2021/22 season.
However, there could finally be some light at the end of the tunnel for the 18-year-old, even if his route back into action is set to be a gradual one given the length of his absence.
Writing for his latest CaughtOffside Substack column, Jones said of Gordon: “Unfortunately he’s been out for 18 months now with a pelvic problem, which is linked to his growth and has been a real tough slog for him, but he’s now closing in on a return. He’s expected to be back training properly and working on the grass again by the end of this month.
“He’s still only 18 years of age and has already shown so much promise, and he was back with the first-team squad at the AXA this week doing the last stages of his rehab.
“He’s going to be eased back in, playing with the Under-21s to start with, and then I think we’ll see him getting a slow reintroduction into football after such a long time out.
“Liverpool fans can be excited by the young players coming through at the moment, such as Stefan Bajcetic and Ben Doak, but my message is that they definitely shouldn’t forget about Kaide Gordon either.
“Hopefully we’ll see him back on the pitch sooner rather than later and he can remind everyone why he was such a hot prospect not so long ago.”
The 2021/22 season was shaping up to be an unforgettable one for Gordon until it was cut short by his pelvic problem, with the teenager making four senior appearances and even scoring for the first team in an FA Cup win over Shrewsbury (Transfermarkt).
Jurgen Klopp has previously sung the forward’s praises, describing him as an ‘exceptional talent’ during that campaign (liverpoolfc.com), and the manager put his words into practice by giving him sporadic minutes before he even reached adulthood.
Fellow teenage right-winger Doak could’ve forced his way ahead of the ex-Derby County gem in the pecking order as a natural alternative to Mo Salah in that position, but it’s not unthinkable that Gordon could flip the equation back in his favour if he picks up where he’d left off prior to his lengthy absence.
The Athletic‘s Caoimhe O’Neill reported that a loan move in winter 2024 could be a viable option for the 18-year-old once he’s regained full match fitness, and that may open the window to him getting invaluable regular senior game-time in a competitive environment.
The pre-season games have come too soon for the forward to be involved with Klopp’s squad, but hopefully he can hit the ground running with the under-21 once he’s fit enough to be back playing matches again.
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