Liverpool youngster Rio Ngumoha will miss the club’s upcoming academy fixtures, having been called up for England duty in Euro qualifiers this month.
Ngumoha has attracted plenty of attention since his decision to leave Chelsea for Liverpool over the summer, including a focus on his displays at youth level.
The left winger has caught the eye during his five outings for the U18s and U19s so far, while he has worked alongside the U21s on a regular basis in training.
His adjustment will take a pause for the rest of October, though, with the 16-year-old named in England’s U17s squad for three Euro 2025 qualifiers.
England U17s will play Malta (Oct 24), Latvia (Oct 27) and Sweden (Oct 30), all held at Malta’s Centenary Stadium, as they aim to progress to the next stage.
That means Ngumoha will miss a number of fixtures at club level, including Wednesday’s UEFA Youth League clash with RB Leipzig U19s.
He will also be unavailable against Everton U21s and Sunderland U18s next weekend, as well as the clash with Hertha Berlin U21s at the end of the month.
Ngumoha is the only Liverpool youngster included for England, though U18s teammate Cam Williams, a 15-year-old left-back, is with Scotland U17s for their qualifiers against Northern Ireland, Lithuania and the Republic of Ireland.
Earlier this week, The Athletic reported on friction between Liverpool and Chelsea over Ngumoha’s switch to Merseyside.
It is claimed that scouts from both Liverpool and Man United – who also attempted to sign the teenager – have seen their attendance rejected for youth fixtures at Chelsea‘s Cobham Training Centre.
