Liverpool Team News: Klopp Confirms Injury Boost + Remains Hopeful Over Origi & Can

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed an injury boost ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Newcastle United while he also remains hopeful that Divock Origi and Emre Can could play again this season.

The Reds warm-up for their huge Europa League semi-final first leg against Villarreal by welcoming relegation-threatened Newcastle to Anfield on Saturday afternoon and Klopp has been speaking at his pre-match press conference this afternoon where he’s given Liverpoolfc.com a team news update.

The German coach was pleased to reveal that Christian Benteke is edging closer to making his return to action after the striker has been on the sidelines since suffering knee ligament damage last month.

Benteke isn’t back in full training just yet so he’s almost certainly not going to feature against Newcastle tomorrow but Klopp suggests it won’t be too much longer before he’ll be able to call upon the Belgian international again.

The strikers return is well timed as Origi became Liverpool’s latest injury victim after being stretchered off early in the second half during the Reds 4-0 win over Everton on Wednesday night.

Reports in the newspapers this morning suggested that the 21-year-old has suffered ankle ligament damage and is expected to be out for at least four weeks, which would almost certainly rule him out for the rest of the season.

However, while Klopp admitted Origi’s injury is serious, he stopped short of putting any precise time frame on his recovery and instead suggested he was still hopeful the striker would play again before the end of the campaign.

The Reds boss says the club will work with Origi and team mate Emre Can – who’s also expected to miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury – to try and get them back on the pitch before the end of the season.

When asked for an update on Origi’s sitauation, Klopp told the clubs website:

“I don’t want really answer on this question, but I can of course – it’s an injury and it’s serious.

“We will try everything, everything, [to make sure] the season is not over without taking any risks for the player. That’s how it is.

“I am long enough in this business to know we are all different, all individuals, so we don’t have to say any general things. We only have to work with him and then we will see what happens. It is the same with Emre Can and so on.

“As I said, we are all individuals. A long time ago, I had an ACL [injury] and played after four months, and nobody could believe it worked but I didn’t have a problem with it.

“Why should we say now his season is over when we still believe a little bit there can be a few games for him? We have to see.”

“The good news is Christian feels good. He hasn’t trained with the team until now but he wants to. It’s always the same and I understand your point of view when you say he is back and let him play, but it doesn’t work like this even when the player wants it.

“If we have to then we have to, but hopefully we can give him a few more days. I haven’t made the line-up for tomorrow and I haven’t made the squad, but hopefully we can give him a few more sessions.

“After this game, there will still hopefully be seven to go and there’s enough time, and it would be great if we he could be ready. Sometimes when one door closes, another opens.

“It’s how I said, he’s had no team training and that’s for sure what he needs before he should play and especially before he should start.”

Even if Origi makes a swift recovery, he’s almost certain to miss both legs of the Europa League semi finals against Villarreal as well as Premier League games against Newcastle, Swansea, Watford and Chelsea.

There is a slim chance the Belgian hitman could play some part in Liverpool’s final league game at West Brom in three weeks time which would put him in contention for a possible Europa League final on May 18th, but we’ll have to wait and see how quickly he recovers.