Arne Slot handed injury boost as Liverpool midfielder steps up recovery process

The Liverpool head coach has been without valuable youngsters such as Stefan Bajcetic and Jayden Danns this season, and another injured youngster is closing in on a return to the pitch

Arne Slot handed a fitness boost as James McConnell stepped his recovery process(Image: David Rogers, Getty Images)

Liverpool Under-21 coach Rob Page has revealed James McConnell made another positive step in his recovery from injury over the weekend.

The midfielder returned from a loan spell with Ajax in January and subsequently underwent surgery to address an injury issue. The 21-year-old, who has made 13 senior appearances for Liverpool, was seen back in training two weeks ago, but Page said he has since stepped up his rehabilitation process.

“Macca's had his first day back on grass yesterday, I think,” the former Wales boss told Liverpool.com on Sunday, after the Under-21s’ comfortable victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the AXA Training Centre.

The news will be a boost to Arne Slot, who is a keen admirer of McConnell. The Liverpool head coach opted against sending him on loan in January 2024 after the former Sunderland youth-team star impressed in a Champions League victory over PSV Eindhoven.

McConnell spent the first half of the 2025/26 season at Ajax, but, due to injury, he was recalled at the beginning of January. The expectation was that McConnell would return to training in February and provide an additional option for Slot’s depleted squad.

However, it seems increasingly likely that McConnell will play some part at Under-21 level.

McConnell returned from loan last month(Image: Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)

Page’s side moved top of the Premier League 2 table on Sunday after the 5-0 win over Wolves, who played with 10 men for the majority of the game. Clae Ewing, Calvin Ramsay, Kieran Morrison and Will Wright were among the goals at Kirkby, plus a Saheed Olagunju own-goal.

That increased the Reds’ run to eight wins in nine league matches and Page said he has pushed to instill a winning mentality in the squad.

“Even before the sending off, I thought we were completely on top; dominant in every aspect,” Page told reporters.

Rob Page has guided the Under-21s to a long winning run in Premier League 2

“So we ask them to be ruthless, so not to take your foot off the pedal and make sure we get the result with a good performance as well.

“They've bought into the mentality aspect of it, absolutely. I think everybody can see a change in that.

“It's a little bit more real as to what they're going to face, whether it's with the first team or other clubs elsewhere when they go on to have a career.

“And I want to have a little bit more control of the game with possession, with some of the players we've got on the team, you know, we should be having more control of games and I thought we'd done that, I thought we were excellent at that, even before the semi-final.”