Bobby Duncan: Paul Glatzel will bounce back from injury blow
Bobby Duncan is certain Paul Glatzel will bounce back from the injury that precluded his friend and teammate from Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States.
Glatzel’s maiden appearance for the Reds’ first team was cut short when he sustained a knee issue during last week’s 6-0 friendly win at Tranmere Rovers.
Jürgen Klopp subsequently confirmed that the 18-year-old forward’s injury is ‘serious’ - but Duncan expects Glatzel, with whom he formed a prolific partnership at Academy level last term, to pick up where he left off once he returns to fitness.
“Obviously as soon as he got injured I gave him a little text to see if he was alright,” Duncan told Liverpoolfc.com after training in South Bend, Indiana on Wednesday.
“After the game I didn’t want to get around him that much because I knew he wanted his own time, so the next day I texted him. He’ll get through it, he’s a big lad and I know he’ll get through it.
“I think a couple of years ago he had a double leg break and he came back and hit the ground running, so I haven’t got a shadow of a doubt that he’ll come back and hit the ground running again.”
Duncan is one of several Academy players among Klopp’s 28-man squad in America and the 18-year-old knows Glatzel, who captained the Reds’ U18s last season, will be delighted for them.
“He’ll be buzzing for us because Paul’s a nice lad,” the Scouser continued.
“He’s happy if I go with the first team and I’m happy if he goes with the first team and obviously [it’s the same] with the other Academy lads who have been here. So yeah, he’ll be buzzing for us.”
Duncan - who scored his first senior goal for Liverpool against Tranmere last Thursday - went on to detail the educational benefits of working with the club’s first-team players and staff on a daily basis.
“It’s good. The intensity is a lot higher than what I’ve been playing with in the U23s and U18s so it’s a big test for me to see if I can cope with it,” the England U18 international explained.
“You become more aware in the game when you’re playing and you become more mature as well, as you’re playing with them. You can read the game better.
“[I want to] make a good impression in front of the gaffer and hopefully I can stay here now and make my mark.”
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