GOOD DEFENDER: Liverpool have a new “rock solid” centre-back partnership Konate and  Virgil van Dijk 

Liverpool have a new “rock solid” centre-back partnership Konate and  Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool can boast a number of talented centre-backs in their academy, and U21s coach Barry Lewtas believes a “rock solid” partnership could be forming.

There was a sense of disappointment among some fans that Liverpool did not add another centre-back to Arne Slot‘s squad in the transfer window.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have since reprised their first-choice pairing, with Jarell Quansah third choice and Joe Gomez also available.

Beyond that, Liverpool’s other options remain in the academy, with Amara Nallo, 17, and Wellity Lucky, 18, two of the standouts in Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with AC Milan U19s in the UEFA Youth League.

On a frustrating afternoon for the young Reds, the clean sheet could be considered a real positive, with Lewtas hailing his centre-back duo afterwards.

“A clean sheet is massive for them,” he told the Liverpool Echo.

“There’s been a few games this season where there has been a few mistakes and things like that but they were rock solid to be fair to them.

“They blocked, they tackled, they headed everything away and I thought at times they were the moments we were quite good in possession as well and we just couldn’t move up the pitch enough as a team.”

Nallo is already familiar with the first-team setup but Lucky, the Spanish teenager, is yet to be involved regularly with the senior squad.

They have started three of the U21s’ five games together so far this season, along with the U19s’ first game of the UEFA Youth League campaign.

It is likely they will be called upon again on Sunday, when Lewtas’ side return to action at home to Derby in the league – though the Reds also possess another high-potential centre-back in Carter Pinnington, 17.

And with Liverpool yet to add another defender to Slot’s squad in the transfer market, it could be that the pathway is left open for at least one of their promising youngsters.

The UEFA Youth League will certainly aid their development, as will battling with senior sides from League One and League Two as part of the EFL Trophy, with Harrogate Town up next on Tuesday night.

“I think we can be quite proud how we kept the ball out the other end,” Lewtas continued of the draw in Milan.

“Kornel [Misciur] made a couple of good saves but I thought we did well, I thought we stuck at it and 0-0 away from the home in a competition like this is always a good result and I think it is something to build on.”