With Danny Ings set to miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury, Jurgen Klopp has put his faith in 20-year-old striker Divock Origi.
Ings ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during training on Wednesday afternoon, and now faces up to six months on the sidelines – leaving Klopp with few options in attack.
Ings joins Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino in the treatment room, with a trip to White Hart Lane looming on Saturday.
However, Klopp told James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo that Origi could play a part against Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur.
“We have Origi – do you know him?” he asked.
“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 [Sturridge] for the position and we have Origi.
“Two strikers, I don’t need more. When you start if you have more it’s perfect. But you have to think how you can react.
“When Christian is fit then he is an option, for sure but at this moment he isn’t.”
Sturridge is likely to start against Spurs, but Klopp’s showing of faith can only improve the confidence of Origi – who has endured a slow start to life on Merseyside.
Under former boss Brendan Rodgers, the Belgian played just 16 minutes in the Premier League.
Though decidedly raw in his talent, Klopp clearly sees a lot in Origi, with the 48-year-old reportedly having pursued him during his time as manager at Borussia Dortmund.
Origi’s pace and power could provide a welcome flourish to the Liverpool attack, and Klopp could see him hit top form in the Premier League.
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