Lucas impressed by young Reds' progress
Lucas Leiva was impressed with what he saw from the bench as a young Liverpool side battled to a 2-2 draw against Exeter on Friday evening.
And the Brazilian says a much-needed rest from action in that game means he and his fellow first-team regulars are primed to return in what is a huge week for the Reds.
With injuries mounting during a hectic run of games, manager Jürgen Klopp took the brave decision to name a youthful team for the trip to St James Park.
The German handed out five debuts in total over the course of 90 minutes against the Grecians and saw a gritty performance rewarded with a result that ensured Liverpool remained in the hat for the fourth-round draw.
Lucas, who made the trip to Devon but was not called upon, was also pleased with what he saw from an XI largely made up of Academy hopefuls.
And he expects big things from the young players who have been enjoying regular time at Melwood of late.
The midfielder told Liverpoolfc.com: "I think they did pretty well. It was difficult conditions, the pitch wasn’t so good, but they took their chances.
"It was a hard game, of course, and going behind twice, but to get the equalising goal is all credit to them to keep going and keep believing.
"We now have another chance to play the replay and hopefully get through.
"I think there are a few [standouts] to be honest. Probably the ones that have been playing more and playing really well.
"Joao [Teixeira], he had a very good game against Bournemouth and Exeter; Cameron [Brannagan], I think he’s a very good footballer, he’s not afraid to tackle and technically he’s very good; both full-backs, Brad [Smith] and Connor [Randall], they have been very good.
"All of them have been training here and getting their chances and the future is very bright for them."
The senior players who were left out of the clash with Paul Tisdale's team are set to return for an Anfield double-header against Arsenal and Manchester United that begins on Wednesday.
Lucas hopes the benefits of a week-long recuperation period will be visible, though he admits many of his colleagues have had to play through the pain barrier during a period that has seen fitness issues plague the squad.
"We hope [it will help] because we’ve just had a few more days to prepare," he added.
"We are used to this time of the year you get more injuries and that’s why you need everyone. Everyone needs to be ready when the chance comes.
"But at the same time you have injuries, you have players coming back, which is a big boost for the squad, and hopefully we will be fine for the next busy period that we have.
"It’s the life of a footballer, especially if you want to fight for the club
"You’ll never be 100 per cent, it’s a very rare day where you wake up and feel perfect – I don’t think it’s possible.
"So you just have to cope with pain and, if you can cope with some kind of pains, you play.
"That’s what a lot of players are trying to do, to cope with pain and help the team because we need it."