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Liverpool Academy keeper Shamal George has been told he needs to bulk up this summer as he bids to put the injury woes of last season firmly behind him.

The highly-rated 19-year-old from Wirral endured a frustrating campaign with an elbow problem hampering his progress. In his absence, the likes of Kamil Grabara and Caoimhin Kelleher both shone for the Reds' under-23s side.

“Shamal knows what he has to do,” Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg told the ECHO.

“I’ve had a lot of talks with him on it. He was injured a lot last season and missed a lot of football.

“As a goalie, you need to try to stay fit and help yourself to stay fit. The plan for him is to improve his strength and be more robust. The hope is that he doesn’t get those small injuries and can cope with the physicality.

“He’s still a young boy so he has time. He has to help himself to improve from that side of things.”

Liverpool must decide whether to loan George out in 2017/18 in order to gain some senior experience. Poland youth international Grabara is currently more likely to depart on a temporary deal.