Nathaniel Phillips has completed his return to Stuttgart on loan, following a brief return to Liverpool.
The 22-year-old started the Reds’ 1-0 win over Everton in the FA Cup, on what was his debut.
Phillips’ return was only short-term, however, filling the void left by injured pair Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren.
The centre-back will now return to Germany until the end of the season, having moved there last summer.
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I believe this is the correct decision by Liverpool, especially with Matip and Lovren both nearing a return to first-team action.
With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez also ahead of Phillips in the pecking order, staying put at Anfield would have stunted his progress.
I think the youngster would have ended up playing for the Under-23s, rather than enjoying senior action abroad.
There simply wouldn’t have been the opportunities to make Jurgen Klopp’s matchday squad, let alone the starting lineup, given the depth at the manager’s disposal.
It is going to be difficult for Phillips to ever break into the Liverpool team for this very reason, so he should look for a permanent move in the summer.
At 22, he is the same age as Gomez, so time isn’t even necessarily on his side.
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