Kaide Gordon has not played for Liverpool in 16 months due to a “complex” pelvic injury, but the club are now hopeful that he is nearing his return. The last time Gordon was on the pitch was for a 3-0 defeat to Leeds under-21s in February 2022, a day after he had warmed the bench for the first team. Since then, a series of injury problems connected to his growth have kept him on the sidelines, with Liverpool taking a very cautious approach to his recovery. Jurgen Klopp has been mindful to involve Gordon when possible, including for training camps in Austria and Dubai, while he has been spotted running on the pitches at the AXA Training Centre. However, the winger has not been able to build on his stunning breakthrough with the senior side in 2021/22, when he became the club’s second-youngest goalscorer.
According to the Liverpool Echo, Gordon is now “much closer to resuming team training” after having resumed “tentative ball work.” This Is Anfield understands that the club opted against reintegrating him in the final months of last season to avoid any risk of re-injury. Instead, while there is “no timescale” set for his return, there is a chance the 18-year-old could be involved in parts of pre-season training. U21s manager Barry Lewtas described the injury as “complex,” and explained that Gordon is now “taller and bigger” than when he was last involved. He added that part of the club’s caution was owing to an increased expectation around Gordon among supporters due to his early impact. With Gordon now running around the pitch more, it remains to be seen when he will make his long-awaited return to action.