Former Preston North End defender Ben Davies still waiting for his chance at Liverpool
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Davies, 25, left Deepdale on transfer deadline day to join the Reds in what looked like a dream move.
After being a first-team regular at North End for the last three-and-a-half years and a constant around Deepdale for a number of years before, it took time to get used to not seeing Davies on the Preston teamsheet.
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Hide AdBut for his name to be largely absent from the Liverpool matchday squad since his switch to Merseyside has been rather strange.
Davies is yet to kick a ball for the Reds, named on the bench for just three of the eight games he has been available for.
Just two days after putting pen to paper, he was among the substitutes for the 1-0 home defeat to Brighton.
The central defender did not make the bench for the next two games but was back on it for the Champions League clash with RB Leipzig three weeks ago.
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Hide AdDavies stayed in the squad for the Merseyside derby loss to Everton but has not been on the bench since.
Although no one expected a player with no Premier League experience to walk into the Liverpool side, for him not to have set foot on the pitch in five weeks is strange.
All the more so because of the number of defenders who are missing from Jurgen Klopp’s squad at the moment.
Klopp has played midfielders in the back four as he has chopped and changed to try and fill the gaps.
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Hide AdThe inference from Klopp recently is that he has been giving Davies time to adjust to life at the top level.
Davies got a mention when Klopp spoke with the media in the build-up to Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Fulham.
Klopp said: “For Ben, it’s not easy. In our situation, we brought him in and he has to adapt, all these kind of things.
“He is a really good player, but we just have to try to make sure that the people who play with each other…if you bring one new player and then a second new player, it changes everything. We have to see.”
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Hide AdIf Davies is not featuring now and then further down the line Liverpool get some of their big-hitters back, you do wonder where he might fit in.
Would the Reds sell so soon after buying him, this summer or next January?
If they did, North End do have a sizeable sell-on clause on any profit made.
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