The idea now is for Ndukwe to look to earn qualification by securing a loan move that would see him feature regularly for a club in a prestigious league, one which is ideally involved in European competition.
It is understood that, with the right move, the necessary points tally could be achieved by January, allowing Liverpool to bring the defender back into the fold - though that of course creates a potential drawback for clubs interested in a loan.
Fortunately, there is also another workaround available to the Reds, one which could even have allowed for Ndukwe to feature from the start of the season: the Elite Significant Contribution (ESC) criteria.
Each season, ESCs allow Premier League clubs to use up to four players considered capable of making an impact but who fall short of work permit qualification.
However, certain requirements must be met in order to reach that maximum number, including the percentage of minutes given to English players and the number of appearances for the England senior, U21 or U20 teams from within your squad.
In Liverpool’s case, the departures of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jarell Quansah, Curtis Jones’ fringe role, and Joe Gomez’s injuries, have meant them qualifying for just one ESC spot this term having had two last time around.
And that has been given to Mor Talla Ndiaye, with the loss of Armin Pecsi’s having been worked around through a loan move to Austrian outfit TSV Hartberg.
www.bbc.com
