Simon Mignolet has come under intense scrutiny following the goal he conceded to Mo Salah against Roma last night, but has still found time to salute Belgian compatriot Divock Origi – who sadly missed the tie with a groin strain.
Origi though did feature against AC Milan the match previous, scoring a lovely opening goal and giving more indication to Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool fanbase of what he’s got to offer…
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“Divock showed what he can do,” Mignolet told the Express.
“He came on and made a big difference and that’s what you want to see from him. Let’s hope he keeps progressing and evolving as a player.
“If he can stay injury free then I’d expect him to kick on a level this season. Without the injuries last season he would have scored more than 10.
“If he can stay fit and keeps working as hard as he is in the moment then he will score more for us.”
Origi reached double figures last term despite being crocked at times and being out of favour in the first half of the campaign.
Mignolet is a certainty to start the season because of Loris Karius’s injury, but Origi will likely have to wait for his opportunity behind Daniel Sturridge…
Both are fit though and the decision Klopp has to make is an exciting one. There’s a chance the boss could deploy both the forwards, but we expect one to lead the line in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation.
Sturridge is the better natural finisher, while Origi is a harder worker and has more power, though slightly less finesse. If those options weren’t enough, Danny Ings and Roberto Firmino can play up top, while Christian Benteke and Mario Balotelli are still on the books.