Liverpool have officially confirmed that a defender has departed Anfield, with the announcement coming just hours before a pivotal Champions League match.

Liverpool left-back Luke Chambers has completed a loan move to Charlton Athletic for the rest of the season.

The 21-year-old has only recently returned from a back injury, which brought his earlier loan spell at Wigan Athletic to an early end in April after just a few months. This latest switch marks the fourth loan of Chambers’ Liverpool career, following two previous stints with Wigan and a four-month spell at Kilmarnock in 2023.

Liverpool officially confirmed the move just hours before their Champions League showdown with Marseille, announcing via the club website that Chambers will spend the remainder of the campaign at Charlton. He could make his debut for Nathan Jones’ side this Saturday in a London derby away at Millwall.

Chambers has made four senior competitive appearances to date, all during the 2023/24 season, including his first full start against Toulouse in the Europa League. That display earned praise from Trent Alexander-Arnold, although his development has since been disrupted by persistent back issues over the past 18 months.

He joins a Charlton team currently 18th in the Championship, only four points clear of the drop zone. It will be interesting to see how Jones utilises him in a system that often features a 3-1-4-2 setup, whether as a left-sided centre-back or in a more advanced role down the flank.

The hope is that Chambers can get regular minutes at The Valley, rebuild momentum, and put himself back on the radar at Liverpool when he returns later in the year.