"He's just got to wait for his turn" - Manager explains why Liverpool loanee isn't playing despite being fully fit
Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe has indicated that on-loan Liverpool defender Calvin Ramsay hasn't featured much for the side due to their depth in his position.
Ramsay joined Preston on a season-long loan this summer in the hopes of racking up consistent first-team minutes. However, a knee injury that required him to undergo surgery saw him miss their first 16 EFL Championship matches.
After returning to the squad as an unused substitute in their 17th game, he played 132 minutes across their next two contests. However, he then tested positive for COVID-19, missing three more games. Ramsay has since recovered, but hasn't made Preston's squad for the last three Matchdays.
Speaking to the Lancashire Evening Post, Lowe stated that the Scot was fit, but will have to bide his time. He added that the presence of other players who can feature in Ramsay's preferred right wing-back position is a reason for his lack of playing time.
Lowe said (as quoted by the Liverpool Echo):
"He is available. He's just out of the squad at the moment, because he had Covid. He's fit and training every day, but I have got to look for players who I feel can help - coming off the bench.
"I want more attacking players and we've got Ali (McCann) or Browney (Alan Browne) who can fill that right-wing-back void - or even Liam Millar, swapping over to the other side. We don't need an extra one on the bench at the moment."
He concluded:
"So yeah, he's fit and available and he's just got to wait for his turn. When it comes, hopefully he can take it."
Preston currently sit 11th in the Championship with just 35 points from 25 matches (10 wins, 10 losses, five draws). They are, however, just four points adrift of West Brom, who occupy the final playoff spot.
A brief look at Liverpool defender Calvin Ramsay's career so far
Liverpool signed Calvin Ramsay from Scottish side Aberdeen in the summer of 2022 as an understudy to first-choice right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. The move came after Ramsay recorded an impressive nine assists and a goal in 33 matches for Aberdeen during the 2021-22 season.
He featured as a substitute in one UEFA Champions League match and played all 90 minutes of their EFL Cup third-round win over Derby County. The 20-year-old also featured four times for Liverpool's U21 side in Premier League 2, scoring once.
However, the aforementioned knee injury prevented Ramsay from adding to that tally and cut his season short.