19-YEAR-OLD Kildare-born defender Conor Masterson has been selected on the bench for Liverpool ahead of their Champions League quarter-final with Manchester City.

The Celbridge native, who has captained Ireland at underage level, has been given a chance as a result of injuries to first-team players Joel Matip, Ragnar Klavan and Joe Gomez.

He joined Liverpool from Lucan United at the age of 13 and has impressed for Steven Gerrard’s U19 side in the Uefa Youth League, while also featuring for the club’s U23 team of late.

Masterson has yet to make a senior appearance for Liverpool, but made the bench for their FA Cup tie with Exeter in January 2016.

Should the teenager appear tonight, he would become the first Irish player to feature for Liverpool in the Champions League since Robbie Keane lined out against PSV Eindhoven on 9 December 2008.

Tonight's team to face @ManCity...#LIVMCI #UCL pic.twitter.com/mJlp0yez4M

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 4, 2018

How we're lining-up at Anfield tonight! 🙌

City XI | Ederson, Walker, Kompany (C), Otamendi, Laporte, Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Sane, Jesus

Subs | Bravo, Danilo, Stones, Sterling, Delph, Bernardo, Zinchenko#lfcvcity #mancity pic.twitter.com/wEeldnQ8F7

— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 4, 2018

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