Florian Wirtz was absent from Liverpool training, while a less familiar 22-year-old player has returned from a loan stint.

Florian Wirtz is now a major doubt for Liverpool’s Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday. The German playmaker missed the weekend loss to Nottingham Forest with a muscle problem, and while manager Arne Slot had hoped he wouldn’t be sidelined for long, Wirtz was absent from Tuesday’s training at Kirkby ahead of Liverpool’s fifth European fixture of the season.

Wirtz’s absence puts his involvement against PSV in serious doubt, dealing a blow to Liverpool ahead of a crucial “must-win” match. On the same day, several youngsters trained with the first team, including 22-year-old James Norris, who has just returned from a loan spell at League of Ireland side Shelbourne. Their season concluded in early November, and Norris, who has previously played in the Conference League with Shelbourne, took part in training despite being ineligible for Liverpool’s Champions League squad due to age and prior European appearances.

For Wirtz, missing another big game will be frustrating, particularly after arguably his best Reds performance against Real Madrid in the previous Champions League fixture. Slot is expected to provide an update later, but Wirtz may have to wait until the West Ham game next weekend to return. As for Norris, having played regularly at Shelbourne, he’s likely to go out on loan or leave permanently in January, but today’s training suggests he remains on Liverpool’s radar.