LIVERPOOL starlet Nathaniel Phillips is heading back to Bundesliga side Stuttgart.
The 22-year-old will rejoin the German side after being recalled by the Reds for just ONE game.
The 22-year-old will now play out the rest of the campaign with Stuttgart after being recalled by Liverpool for just one game.Credit: Reuters
He temporarily joined the German squad from Liverpool back in August and was then recalled during the winter break.
He then featured in the Premier League leaders’ 1-0 FA Cup third round win over Everton.
Jurgen Klopp had only Joe Gomez and Virgil Van Dijk as his fit senior central defenders, after injuries to Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren.
So Liverpool recalled Phillips as defensive reinforcement.
But he is now being sent BACK to play out the rest of the season in Germany on the previously agreed loan-deal.
Lovren is expected back in training this week after suffering a muscle strain and Matip is close to making his comeback from a knee injury.
Stuttgart have not had a game since December 21.
They play a friendly with Basel this week..
The German second division side lost just five out of 18 league games before the winter break and currently sit third in the table.
Thomas Hitzlsperger’s men are level on points with second-placed Hamburg and three behind leaders Arminia.
Phillips was ruled out of the Stuttgart squad just ahead of the winter break, suffering from angina.
It meant that as well as not featuring heavily in the first half of the campaign, he was also only able to manage three of the last four games before being sidelined.
The ex-Bolton youth signed a new Liverpool contract before leaving on his initial loan.
His future will likely be under review this summer.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
