Liverpool still awaiting Sepp van den Berg clearance ahead of Sporting Lisbon clash

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David Lynch23 July 2019

Liverpool are still waiting to hear whether Sepp van den Berg will be available to make his debut against Sporting Lisbon.

The Dutchman has yet to feature for the Reds since sealing a £1.3million move from Eredivisie outfit PEC Zwolle in late June.

A wait on international clearance from Fifa caused Van den Berg to miss friendly games against Tranmere, Bradford, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla.

And it is still unclear whether he will be able to take to the field when Jurgen Klopp’s team take on Sporting in New York on Wednesday.

Club officials have been in constant contact with both the FA and Fifa but are still awaiting clearance on the paperwork relating to Van den Berg’s move to Anfield.

The 17-year-old has missed several opportunities to stamp his mark on what represents an important period from a personal perspective.

Klopp recently declared that the defender had been signed with a view to challenging for a first-team berth, though he has been unable to prove his worth in games thus far.

Asked about Van den Berg’s senior hopes, the Reds boss said: “It depends. I open the door but the boys have to go through still.

“He is a wonderful player as well, but because of Fifa rules he is not available in the moment, but we have other good players.

“He thought his future should be here and I thought the same, so now he is here and now let’s work together.

In Pictures | Liverpool vs Sevilla | 21/07/2019

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“He is 17 years old and when you see him you forget that constantly, but he is 17 and so there is a lot to learn.

“The good thing is he has the most time to do so, so everything will be fine.”

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