Iraola's side are short of numbers in central defence, so Austrian teenager Ndukwe has been handed more minutes than even he might have expected. Post-Brexit rules mean he is not allowed to play for Liverpool in a competitive game in 2026 because he didn't reach the points target required to qualify for a UK work permit - meaning he can only play in friendly matches. Austria youth international Ndukwe doesn't currently have enough points to obtain a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) to obtain a work visa. Premier League and Championship clubs have up to four ESC places available, based on the percentage of minutes clubs gave to their England Qualified Players (EQP) in the previous campaign. The magic number is 35% of minutes, which means clubs can use four ESC players.