Klopp provides Origi fitness update: ‘I saw him smiling’

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Liverpool’s young Belgian striker Divock Origi hasn’t broken his ankle, thankfully, but he still could be out for a while if Ramiro Funes Mori has done significant damage to the ligaments.

Everton’s useless centre-back scythed Origi in the second-half, and our 21-year-old had to leave the field on a stretcher. The Argentine got a red-card, but how is this justice? He’ll miss three games suspended, while Origi will surely miss plenty more.

Jurgen Klopp says the incident marred the 4-0 win, which was the easiest Merseyside Derby we can remember.

“I haven’t seen [the tackle] until now. I didn’t see the television pictures. It’s a big shadow on the game, to be honest,” Klopp told the official website. 

“Usually if you tell me before the game we will win 4-0, I would feel different. But now we can talk about the game and this situation – we have to wait for a final assessment. It’s absolutely too early.

“When I came in, everybody who saw the pictures thought maybe it’s broken. It’s not.

“I went to Divock in the medical room and I saw him smiling. The ankle is twisted so we have to wait to see what happens to the ligaments. That’s how it is. I can’t say more.”

Now Liverpool and the striker face a nervous wait for results of the injury assessment. Origi was pencilled in to lead the line against Villarreal in the Europa League semis, but now his replacement last night Daniel Sturridge will surely be given the centre-forward role.

It’s not a bad backup to have, with the Englishman scoring once (not twice, as he claims) last night – to make it seven Premier League goals in just eight starts this term.

He’s the most natural goalscorer we have, but he’ll need to put in an all-action, unselfish performance if we’re to progress in Europe. Missing Origi in the away leg will affect us.

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