Alexander Isak injury has opened door for Liverpool summer signing to emerge

Liverpool teenager Will Wright has made the bench for the last two Premier League games and will be pressing hard for action this week

Amid the excitement over Liverpool's record-breaking transfer splurge last summer, there was one arrival that flew very much under the radar.

Now, though, Will Wright will be given the opportunity to step out from the shadows and demonstrate why the Reds made a surprise swoop for his services back in August.

Having made the bench for the last two Premier League games, the 18-year-old will have this week to once again train with the first team and stake his claim for, at the very least, a cameo when Chelsea visit in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.

Indeed, with Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike absent and doubts over whether Alexander Isak will be able to feature, there is also the outside chance Wright could be handed a senior full debut for Liverpool.

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A substitute outing, though, seems most likely for a striker who has been impressing with the under-21s in recent weeks to push himself into Arne Slot's thinking.

Not that it would be Wright's first taste of action at Anfield. On the day his move from Salford City was made official last August, he replaced Florian Wirtz 16 minutes from time in the second of two friendlies against Athletic Bilbao and almost netted a goal at the Kop end with practically his first touch.

Wright had been a prolific scorer at youth level with Salford and made his first-team breakthrough as a 16-year-old last season when making his debut in the EFL Trophy against Wolves U21s. He also made a brief appearance in the FA Cup third round defeat to Manchester City last January before twice featuring in League Two.

The youngster opted to move to Liverpool rather than Arsenal - for a fee of £200,000 up front along with a potential number of add-ons - for footballing reasons and the fact he would be able to stay in the North West rather than having to move to London.

This season, Wright's experience has mirrored that of many strikers at senior and Academy level at Liverpool, missing several months with a serious knee injury suffered during the UEFA Youth League opener against Atletico Madrid in September.

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But after returning to action, the teenager has hit his stride in recent weeks and produced two excellent finishes for the under-21s in their recent 3-3 Premier League 2 play-off draw against Crystal Palace, albeit later being among those to fail from the spot in the penalty shoot-out defeat. Wright has six goals and five assists in his last 11 outings for the U21s.

With his tall frame, rapid pace, willingness to press and a clear striker's nose for goal, the youngster is very much more in the mould of a traditional forward echoing Ian Rush rather than the versatile, deep-lying linker of play that was Roberto Firmino.

"When you have someone with Will's attitude it makes him great to work with as he just wants to learn every day," said U21s head coach Rob Page last week. "(And he has) striker's instinct. It's hard to coach that.

"He is in a good place at the moment. What I like best about him is his work-rate. He's played league football and he knows what is needed."

His debut may not come this weekend. But it's evident Wright is starting to knock loudly on the door of the Liverpool first team. This week at the AXA Training Centre will give him another chance to continue his progress.

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