A strong young Liverpool team took on Sky Bet Championship side Wrexham in a friendly at the Academy on Tuesday afternoon
Calum Scanlon is back after a lengthy absence(Image: (Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
Calum Scanlon made his return from injury as Liverpool under-21s drew 1-1 with Wrexham in a friendly on Tuesday afternoon. Scanlon suffered what was described as a “really bad hamstring injury” while on loan at Millwall last season.
The right-back immediately returned to Liverpool to undergo surgery before starting a rehabilitation programme. And after nearly a year out, Sclan completed the first 45 minutes against the Sky Bet Championship side at the Academy.
Trent Kone-Doherty opened the scoring after just 13 minutes, but a Wrexham side containing Conor Coady and Paul Mullin equalised on the half-hour mark through Alex Moore.
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Taking to Instagram after the game, Scanlon, who signed a new, extended contract with Liverpool in April 2024, wrote: “353 days. It’s been a while but I’m finally back, thank you Lord.”
Liverpool players past and present were quick to respond to the post, with the likes of Bobby Clark, James McConnell, Kone-Doherty, Isaac Mabaya, Luke Chambers and Rio Ngumoha Adigun all replying with various emojis.
Speaking about the injury picked up by Scanlon, Millwall head coach Alex Neil revealed at the time: “Unfortunately Calum’s got a really bad hamstring injury.
“He required surgery, which he already had and I believe everything went successfully, but that will rule him out for basically sixteen weeks, which takes him to the end of the season. So he’ll go back to Liverpool.
“We’re naturally upset for him. Obviously disappointed for ourselves because it means that we’ve got a really strong, dynamic and talented young player unavailable for us.
“But it’s sort of the nature of the game – injuries are a big part of the game at the moment because it’s so athletically based in terms of having to get up and down the pitch.
“Calum’s probably one that, if I’m honest with the bodies that we’ve got in just now, wouldn’t have played the minutes that he played.
“He played all those games in succession bourne out of the fact that we had very limited options available at that point, hence the reason why we’ve done what we’ve done in the window.”
Liverpool under-21s are next in action against Arsenal at the Academy on Saturday afternoon.
