Jayden Danns nearing return as Liverpool weigh up loan move

Jayden Danns picked up an injury in the opening days of pre-season that ruled him out of first-team contention, but the Liverpool striker is now closing in on a return.

It happened early in the club's work at the AXA Training Centre, where Danns aggravated a previous hamstring problem. He could not join Andoni Iraola's group for sessions on Merseyside and was subsequently left out of the tour of the United States.

He has not featured for the U21s either. Instead he is stepping up his rehab with the aim of rejoining training later this month.

A loan decision awaits

The Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle reports that once Danns is fit, the club will decide on a loan for a forward who has not managed a consistent run in two seasons.

His fitness record may make clubs cautious, though there has been interest from Italy. Liverpool would prefer a top-level destination but might have to be realistic and listen to Championship offers.

In his absence, Lewis Koumas, Will Wright and Josh Sonni-Lambie all travelled with the seniors to Chicago, Nashville and New York. Patrik Farkas, the 19-year-old poised to rejoin from Blackburn, has been leading the line for the U21s, including in last weekend's 4-3 friendly defeat to Cardiff. With Keyrol Figueroa expected to leave on loan — Barnsley, Salford and Shrewsbury are interested — the queue at centre-forward tells its own story.

Still in Iraola's plans

The head coach commented on the unfortunate timing of the injury when he welcomed the first team back to the AXA a month ago, having previously watched Danns train fully with the U21s. That matters: he remains part of the picture.

Danns made five senior appearances after breaking through under Jurgen Klopp in 2023/24 and added four more the following campaign before injuries stalled him. Last season brought a single first-team outing and four for the U21s. This is shaping up as a make-or-break year.