'Got to look for players who I feel can help' - Preston North End boss explains £6.5m Liverpool defender's ongoing absence

Ryan Lowe has explained Calvin Ramsay’s continued Preston North End absence.

The on-loan Liverpool youngster, who has endured a frustrating stay at Deepdale to date, has been a noticeable absentee from Lilywhites squads following his full debut in the 2-0 defeat to QPR on December 1. The 20-year-old picked up Covid ahead of PNE’s trip to Norwich a week later – and has subsquently missed the past six games, including Friday night’s 1-0 loss at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday.

Lowe confirmed the right-sided defender – who missed the first four months of the season with a knee injury – has since recovered from the illness, is back training with his team-mates and available for selection. However, he confessed he’s currently struggling to fit Liverpool’s 2022 £6.5m signing from Aberdeen into his plans.

Despite PNE’s well-documented recent struggles for form, Lowe said: ‘He (Ramsay) 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. 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.’

Ramsay represented Lowe’s first signing of the summer transfer window, when he joined on a season-long loan from Anfield on July 1. The Scotland international was one of eight new arrivals made during the close season, but given his background and obvious potential the defender’s move was considered something of a coup.

To date, with just two appearances under his belt, there’s clearly a long way to go before Ramsay’s Preston stay can be considered a success – if at all. Meanwhile, Liverpool will no doubt be keeping a close eye on the youngster’s situation heading into January as they hope any loan arrangement will provide Ramsay with some much-needed experience.

Lowe, however, could not guarantee Ramsay game time over the second half of the season. When asked if he hopes the youngster's time will come, he added: ‘Yeah, I don't know. It's been frustrating for Calvin, because he's obviously been in and around it.

'He played against QPR, having not played for a while. He ended up getting Covid for the Norwich game and was out of the squad then. He didn't travel with us, then travelled to Huddersfield but wasn't in the squad. And he just hasn't been in the squad since. That's not just him; there are other lads who aren't in the squad at the moment and have to force their way into it.'