Liverpool midfielder Zara Shaw has hit another milestone in her recovery from injury after appearing for the club’s U21s side on Wednesday afternoon. The 18-year-old played the opening 45 minutes against Sheffield United in Kirkby, marking her return to the pitch nearly a year on from sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury while representing England U19s.

The Scouse midfielder rose through the Reds’ academy system to sign her first professional contract last August, despite being sidelined with a devastating knee injury. To date, she has appeared nine times for Liverpool’s senior team and scored one goal before her layoff.

Long Road Back From Devastating Injury

ACL injuries remain one of the most challenging setbacks in football, typically requiring nine to twelve months of rehabilitation before players can return to competitive action.

Shaw’s return to the pitch represents a huge step forward in her recovery, though the decision to limit her to 45 minutes shows Liverpool are taking a sensible, cautious approach with their young talent.

The 18-year-old will be desperate to force her way back into Gareth Taylor’s first team plans as quickly as possible, but rushing her return could prove disastrous. Liverpool have been extremely careful with Shaw’s rehabilitation, and this U21s appearance is clearly designed to build match fitness gradually.

Critical Period for Liverpool Women

Shaw’s potential return to the senior squad comes at a crucial time for Liverpool, who are currently battling to avoid the relegation playoff at the bottom of the WSL table. The Reds finally recorded their first league win of the season in January, but remain in a precarious position.

Having Shaw available again would provide a significant boost to Taylor’s midfield options during the run-in.

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Gareth Taylor insists Liverpool can take positives from their goalless draw at Brighton despite the frustrating result leaving them stuck in 10th place in the Women’s Super League. The Reds failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity to close the gap on Aston Villa above them, with both sides creating chances but lacking the cutting edge to break the deadlock on Sunday afternoon.

The Liverpool manager acknowledged the physical nature of the contest when addressing reporters after the match, explaining how both teams pressed aggressively, which stretched the game between the boxes. Taylor believes his side showed enough quality to suggest better results are coming if they can improve their composure in possession and make smarter decisions in the final third.

Reds Dominated Second Half Spells

Liverpool grew into the contest after the interval, according to their manager, with a strong 15 minute spell where they controlled possession in dangerous areas around Brighton’s penalty area. Taylor felt his defense handled Brighton’s attacking threat better than Chelsea managed in their recent meeting with the Seagulls, limiting the hosts to very few clear cut opportunities.

The former Manchester City assistant stressed that cleaner decision making when in control of the ball will be crucial for turning these draws into victories during the run in. Liverpool created enough chances to win the match but struggled to find the clinical finishing required at this level of competition.

Summer Rebuild Already on Manager’s Mind

Taylor made no secret of his frustration at failing to gain ground on the teams directly above Liverpool in the standings. The manager confessed he is already thinking about the summer break as an opportunity to reset and prepare properly for a much improved campaign next season, hinting at potential squad changes.

Liverpool faces the Merseyside derby against Everton next weekend, giving them another chance to move up the congested mid table positions before the season concludes. Taylor will demand a more clinical performance from his attackers.

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Liverpool hosts Leicester City in the Women’s Super League on Sunday afternoon in what could prove to be a defining game in the relegation battle. The Reds have enjoyed a decent run of form recently and could open up some breathing space between themselves and bottom side Leicester with victory at Prenton Park.

Liverpool sit one point above the basement side heading into the weekend and absolutely cannot afford to drop points. Only the WSL’s big four sides have a better win rate in all competitions in 2026 than the Reds, with 57 percent from seven games, but they need three points to ease relegation fears.

Kick-off: 14:00 GMT, Sunday, March 15, 2026
Venue: Prenton Park, Birkenhead
TV: Sky Sports

Reds Finding Momentum at Perfect Time

Liverpool have won four of their last six matches across all competitions, as many as they managed across their 23 games prior. This represents a significant upturn in form for Matt Beard’s side, who were struggling badly earlier in the campaign.

The positive news is the Reds have found some momentum at the perfect time, with the relegation scrap intensifying. Their recent victories have given them confidence heading into this crucial basement battle, and another win would put serious daylight between themselves and the drop zone.

Leicester Facing Uphill Battle for Survival

Leicester are the only pointless team in the WSL this year, losing all four of their games in 2026. The Foxes last had a longer streak of consecutive defeats in the top flight between May and December 2022, when they lost 10 straight matches.

However, Leicester beat Liverpool 1-0 at home on MD2 this season and could complete a league double over the Reds for the second time in the WSL. Willie Kirk will hope his side can repeat that performance and pick up three vital points in their survival fight.

Predicted Lineups

Liverpool (4-3-3): Laws; Koivisto, Fisk, Hinds, Holland; Nagano, Daniels, Lundgaard; Kearns, Enderby, Silcock

Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Leitzig; Nevin, Howard, Purfield, Pacheco; Tierney, Goodwin; Tanou, Patten, Chan; Momiki

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