Klopp has faith in Origi

New Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has backed Divock Origi to step up in the absence of Danny Ings.

Liverpool lost Ings to a season-ending knee injury this week, leaving his fragile fellow England international Sturridge and Belgium’s Origi, who has yet to earn a regular place in the first team of the Merseyside giants, as the club’s only available forwards.

Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke remain sidelined with hamstring and back injuries respectively but could return soon.

Klopp though is not panicking ahead of his first match in charge away to Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday.

Asked about the Reds’ striker shortage, he replied:

“We have Origi – do you know him?

“I learned first, you do not think about the players who are not available at this moment because there is no chance to get lucky if you do this all of the time.

“In the case of Benteke and Firmino, they are back on the pitch but not team training. I hope next week they will be in normal team training.

“Firmino could play in the striker position but we have to see if he should. In this moment – for the next game – we have Daniel for the position and we have Origi.

“Two strikers, I don’t need more.”

In a painful week for Liverpool, the club also lost promising young full-back Joe Gomez, an off-season arrival from Charlton Athletic, to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the same injury suffered by Ings.

Klopp, boasting a track record of bringing through numerous youngsters to become first-team stars during his time at Borussia Dortmund, had a reassuring message for the 18-year-old defender. 

“I’m pretty good in waiting for players, young players especially. This is his home and we will do anything to make sure he comes back as soon as possible.”