Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has an injury crisis at right-back to solve ahead of the showdown with Manchester United on Sunday.
The Merseyside club host their great rivals at Anfield and will be keen to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
They qualified for the Champions League knockouts rounds in midweek, but at a cost as first-choice right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was forced off injured with a foot problem.
Liverpool have confirmed Alexander-Arnold and teammate Joe Gomez are both sidelined against Manchester United, which leaves them short of options at full-back.
Senior fringe man Nathaniel Clyne could step into the position and that would be a sensible move, but Klopp has shown his genius by name-checking academy player Rafael Camacho.
“Clyney (Clyne) is a very experienced player. We have other options too. Rafael Camacho played outstandingly well in pre-season there [at right-back],” Klopp said in his press conference, as cited by the Liverpool Echo.
It would be extremely dangerous to put in a Liverpool youngster for their debut against the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial at the weekend, but Klopp’s comments are very wise just for the fact his name is thrown into contention.
Camacho is a highly-rated talent in the Under-23s side and is usually deployed as a winger, where he’s got great technical ability and an eye for goal.
But the 18-year-old ace has been used at full-back in the past at times and is being tipped to be a future senior player.
The Portuguese ace has never represented Liverpool at senior level, but will surely take huge confidence from Klopp mentioning his name ahead of a pivotal Premier League clash with Manchester United.
Alexander-Arnold made the step up from unknown to Liverpool regular under Klopp, which is why Camacho may well end up being the next off that production line.