Jarell Quansah has joined his Bayer Leverkusen teammates on their pre-season tour of Brazil but was spared from an embarrassing first game for Erik ten Hag.
Quansah left Liverpool for Leverkusen in a deal worth £35 million this summer, though the centre-back could still return after a buy-back clause was agreed.
His decision to leave Anfield for the Bundesliga came as a surprise but was the result of a decrease in game time under Arne Slot.
The 22-year-old was granted time off following the completion of his transfer, having only seen his campaign conclude at the end of June as England won the U21 Euros, but this week he joined his new teammates in Brazil.
It was out there that Ten Hag took charge of his first game at Leverkusen head coach on Friday, but Quansah was left out.
He was spared the blushes of many of his fellow senior players as the Bundesliga runners-up suffered a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Flamengo U20s.
New signing Mark Flekken, right-back Arthur and forwards Jonas Hofmann and Victor Boniface were among those to start, while Edmond Tapsoba, Alex Grimaldo, Granit Xhaka, Exequiel Palacios, Patrik Schick and Nathan Tella all came off the bench.
Flekken, starting behind a youthful defence, conceding a tame effort at his near post within three minutes and Flamengo U20s were 5-0 up by half-time.
The introduction of a number of key players around the hour mark did little to change Leverkusen’s fortunes, with 17-year-old Montrell Culbreath netting a consolation goal in the 71st minute.
Leverkusen will not play another friendly while in Brazil, instead continuing to train in Rio de Janeiro before returning to face Bochum in their next warmup game on July 27.
Given their experience on Friday there may be some in Ten Hag’s squad who are grateful that they will not be tested again in South America.
Quansah is likely to be involved for the first time in that friendly against 2.Bundesliga side Bochum and will be looking to make a strong impact.
“I come from a team that needs to win all the time and I feel like the club’s got the same identity,” he told Leverkusen’s in-house media after arriving from Liverpool.
“I think the fans are going to expect us to win most games, and for me to be able to try and implement that and implement my desire to win is going to be key.”
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