Liverpool were claimed to have agreed a loan deal for goalkeeper Jakub Ojrzynski late in the summer, but he is now back on Merseyside with no move completed.
Ojrzynski’s representatives announced a season-long move to Cypriot second-tier side Spartakos Kitiou after the English transfer window had closed.
It seemed an odd move for the 21-year-old, but having struggled to secure another move throughout the summer it at least suggested he would play regular first-team football.
That never proved the case, however, with Ojrzynski failing to feature at all for Spartakos and making an early return to the UK.
This is believed to have come due to an error in processing the paperwork involved in a deal with Liverpool, forcing the young goalkeeper into limbo in Cyprus.
Ojrzynski returned to Merseyside soon after that became clear and has since resumed training with Liverpool U21s at the AXA Training Centre.
But with Alisson still sidelined with a hamstring injury and a number of players joining shooting practice ahead of the clash with Aston Villa, Ojrzynski was involved in first-team training last week.
Given an opportunity between the sticks after a session that involved Caoimhin Kelleher, Vitezslav Jaros, Harvey Davies and Kornel Misciur, the Pole was put through his paces.
Watched on by first-coach John Heitinga, the likes of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones took shots at Ojrzynski’s goal.
He was praised for one fingertip stop to keep out Salah, while he also caught the eye by denying the Egyptian in a one-on-one.
It will have been a productive exercise for a player who also struggled for minutes in loan spells with Radomiak Radom and Den Bosch in the past two seasons.
There is little chance of Ojrzynski breaking into the first-team setup on a consistent basis at this stage, and his contract is due to expire at the end of the season.
It is unclear if he can even feature for the U21s until January, though restrictions on academy appearances are lighter than at senior level.
Either way, working with Liverpool’s best finishers will be encouraging for Ojrzynski as he considers his next step either in January or next summer.
