Liverpool picked up another injury before Real Betis friendly – 5 players now out – Liverpool FC

Liverpool midfielder James McConnell was a notable absentee as they took on Real Betis in their first friendly, with his omission not linked to a transfer.

The Reds capped the first leg of their United States tour with a 1-0 win over Real Betis in Pittsburgh, but were missing a number of players.

Andy Robertson has already been confirmed to miss all three games in the US with a long-standing ankle issue, while neither Jayden Danns or Bobby Clark travelled due to back injuries.

Victory over Real Betis came at a cost, too, with Curtis Jones forced off midway through the first half with a suspected hamstring issue.

And before kickoff, midfielder James McConnell was also ruled out, with The Athletic’s James Pearce reporting that this was after a “minor injury issue.”

The 19-year-old watched on from the dugout, while all but one outfield player featured in the victory over Liverpool’s Spanish opposition.

Centre-back Amara Nallo went unused, with no indication that he is injured, while goalkeepers Marcelo Pitaluga and Harvey Davies were simply left out of the squad.

McConnell will have been left frustrated at an opportunity missed, and he may be hoping that the injury is not serious enough to interfere with talks over a loan move.

At least five clubs from the Championship are interested in signing the midfielder for the season, with Hull believed to be leading the way.

Blackburn, Derby, Huddersfield and Birmingham have also been named as suitors for the former Sunderland youth player, who featured in the behind-closed-doors friendly against Preston before Liverpool flew to the US.

Liverpool have already confirmed two loan deals so far this summer, with Calvin Ramsay heading to Wigan and Fabian Mrozek signing a new contract before joining IF Brommapojkarna in Sweden.

Luke Chambers, who played just under half an hour against Real Betis, is also expected to rejoin Wigan on a season-long deal.

Owen Beck is attracting interest from clubs in the Championship as well as Germany and the Netherlands, while Clark has been linked with the likes of Norwich and Salzburg.

Danns, meanwhile, has been touted with a switch to Plymouth Argyle, who are managed by Wayne Rooney, though suggestions that the striker is close to a transfer were premature.

Any deals for the likes of Danns and McConnell would almost certainly be contingent on those players proving their fitness first.