Liverpool’s academy handed major BOOST as HEROIC Barcelona duo RETURN from injury

Liverpool have been boosted by the return of a promising duo, who both played their part in the club’s legendary 4-0 victory over Barcelona. 

Arne Slot’s side have started the season well with plenty of impressive results on the board already having won convincingly both at Old Trafford and the San Siro.

But it’s early days, and the Dutchman is still adjusting to life in England and his new squad.

One of the biggest changes that has been made by Slot in training is the fact that the first team and the U21 team train simultaneously at the AXA training centre whenever possible.

We saw a glimpse of this in action last week.

READ MORE: Arne Slot gives Federico Chiesa HINT ahead of West Ham

Heroic Barcelona duo return from injury

In Liverpool’s Inside Training video released on the LFCTV, there was a snapshot of both the first team and the U21 team coming out to train ahead of the Reds’ game against Bournemouth.

And there were a few returning faces spotted in the squad.

Both Oakley Cannonier and Josh Davidson were among the players coming out to train, which is a huge boost for both the U21 side and the first team.

Cannonier is very highly rated and has been scoring goals for fun at academy level but has been blighted by injuries.

Your #LFC U21s team for today’s PL2 clash with Derby. Dom Corness captains, Tyler Morton starts in midfield and great to see Josh Davidson back on the bench after injury. Kickoff here at Kirkby is 2pm. pic.twitter.com/8AJVKeeVNY

— Andy Kelly (@AndyK_LivNews) September 21, 2024

Davidson is also highly rated and plays full-back for the Reds and has been out with an injury since the summer.

Clearly, Cannonier is still a long way away from making a full recovery as he comes back from a long-term problem.

But Davidson was already included on the bench for the Reds’ Premier League 2 clash against Derby County, where Tyler Morton grabbed the headlines.

Why Cannonier and Davidson are Barcelona ‘heroes’

Cannonier was famously the ball boy whose quick reaction times helped Trent Alexander-Arnold to set-up Divock Origi’s winner against Barcelona in that sensational 4-0 victory at Anfield in the semi-final of the Champions League.

Only a teenager back then, Cannonier gave the ball that would ultimately end-up in the back of the net.

But it wasn’t just Cannonier who played his role in that game, Davidson was also a ball boy on the night as he revealed to the club’s official website.

“I was a ball boy for the Barcelona game as well,” he revealed

“I probably didn’t have quite the impact that he [Cannonier] had!” Davidson laughs. “It was just unbelievable to be there. Where Oakley gave the ball to Trent, I was on the other side of the corner flag near the Main Stand.”

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Thomas Clark

I’m Thomas Clark, from the ever-sunny Scottsdale, Arizona. At 47, my life’s not your usual nine-to-five grind; I’m the voice behind the screen at FC Soccer News. My days are a mix of passion and professionalism as I weave words for the love of the game. University of Arizona’s where I honed my skills, but the real education came from the hours spent in local cafes, my eyes glued to my laptop, and my mind playing the field.

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