Liverpool youngster Trey Nyoni projects as the needed well-rounded player for the depleted Reds midfield as Jeremie Frimpong's up-and-down performance shows why he's best for Cups

It would have seemed unthinkable just two months ago that by Premier League matchday seven, Trey Nyoni would be a borderline lock to start and Jeremie Frimpong would be a favorite to remain on the bench.

Coach Andoni Iraola will likely turn to a midfield pivot of Nyoni alongside Alexis Mac Allister against Brentford on Saturday, with Ryan Gravenberch suspended and Dominik Szoboszlai still hurt. On Friday, the 19-year-old Liverpool midfielder admitted his favorite midfielder to watch was Thiago Alcantara. Do they compare similarly?

Frimpong has lost his starting spot in the Premier League to Ronald Araujo. Is this a move that seems destined to stick? This Liverpool Scouted Weekly explores these two questions.

Nyoni: the Swiss-army knife

Liverpool fans learned a lot about Nyoni in his first Champions League start for the club in an odd 6-3 away victory over LASK in Austria. He partnered with Ryan Gravenberch in the pivot, allowing the Dutch midfielder, at long last, to get forward without consequence.

Nyoni sat back, content to sit just away from the LASK 18-yard box as the Liverpool attackers picked apart a defense not up to standard with the Premier League side.

More importantly, he was a metronome, completing 83/90 passes and 6/6 long balls. Nyoni didn't carry much — the Reds instead opted to pass into the open spaces in front of them — but the lanky Englishman projects as a ball-carrier long-term.

And Nyoni also recorded six defensive actions in the all-around showing. "He has to keep this level of performance, of training," Iraola said of his young player.

"He has to play as a six, as an eight, he has to play one minute, he has to start and play a game like LASK, putting pressure on the other midfielders."

Alcantara, most remembered for his supreme technical gifts, was a jack-of-all-trades throughout his career. He had the license to join the attack at Bayern Munich while playing next to Javi Martinez or Joshua Kimmich in midfield. Same during his fantastic 2021/22 campaign as an eight ahead of the still-fit Fabinho.

But the Spaniard also spent plenty of time sitting deep, a role Nyoni will have to serve if he wants playing time with everyone fit; after all, he's Liverpool's only true No. 6.

Nyoni is not the technical player Alcantara was. He doesn't have to be. As long as he's willing to remain the deep man in a double pivot and fill a magnitude of needs for his team, he'll find plenty of game time this season.

Frimpong struggling

Let's keep this short: Jeremie Frimpong is fantastic when he has the license to bomb up the pitch. His cross to Lewis Koumas for Liverpool's sixth goal against LASK was inch-perfect, and his headed goal showcased his famed ability to burst into the box.

At the other end, Frimpong was a tire fire. He was caught napping for LASK's first goal, allowing an offensive player to sneak in behind (Nyoni gave an exasperated look of frustration), and he was beaten physically on the team's third.

Frimpong should be a great cup player against non-Premier League sides when he has license to get up the pitch and potentially leave the rest of the Reds' defensive line exposed.

Against top Premier League sides, the Dutch defender is not equipped to start.