Liverpool face new pre-season dilemma after demonstrating what's wrong at Manchester United

This time last year Rhys Williams was just about to be recalled to the Liverpool starting XI for the final five games of the season as the Reds rallied to claim maximum points and qualify for the Champions League, having previously risked missing out on Europe after a defensive injury crisis derailed their Premier League title defence.

The defender had made just two appearances since a particularly difficult evening at Old Trafford in January 2021, as Jurgen Klopp’s side exited the FA Cup after a 3-2 defeat to Manchester United. But alongside Nat Phillips at centre-back, the young defensive duo were instrumental in helping Liverpool finish in the top four.

Yet what was the pair’s reward once Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez were back from season-ending injuries? Sure, they’d be given new long-term contracts but Williams was sent on loan at Swansea City, while Phillips made just three appearances before leaving for AFC Bournemouth in January. With Ibrahima Konate signed up in a £36m deal from RB Leipzig, they inevitably fell down the pecking order.

While Phillips is flourishing in the Championship as the Cherries close in on promotion to the Premier League, and will surely leave the club permanently in the summer, Williams' time in the second tier did not go as planned. Making just seven appearances during his time in South Wales, he returned to Anfield in January, and actually made his first Liverpool matchday squad appearance for 12 months as an unused substitute in midweek as the Reds beat Villarreal in the Champions League semi-finals.

In truth, it is the closest he is likely to get to a senior outing for Klopp’s side anytime soon. Instead, he’s been a regular for Barry Lewtas’ Under-23s side since his