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Things were going well for Liverpool in the Merseyside Derby. But an ankle injury to in-form striker Divock Origi soured the mood of a 4-0 thumping of Everton, with reports yesterday indicating that he might miss the remainder of the season.
In his pre-match news conference, Jürgen Klopp confirmed that "it's serious" for Origi. But he refused to say that he'll be out for the rest of the campaign.
Origi has been the brightest light of Liverpool's second-half resurgence, scoring five goals in his last five matches. The 21-year-old figures to be a centerpiece of the club's long term plans, but with the Europa League semi-finals approaching, it would be nice to have him around in the short term, too.
"We will try everything, everything, [to make sure] the season is not over without taking any risks for the player," Klopp said. "That's how it is."
In the meantime, the manager believes in Daniel Sturridge to pick up the slack. Sturridge has enjoyed an extended stretch of good health and scored a goal off the bench against Everton on Wednesday. Plus, he's displayed the hard work and tenacity that Klopp asks of his attackers.
"Daniel is able to create his own moments," Klopp said. "He doesn't always need an assist."
And despite a media gaffe where he criticized his coach, generally subpar play and an injury, Klopp even said Christian Benteke could fight his way back into the side, as "when one door shuts, another door opens."
"The good news is that Christian feels good. He wants to train," Klopp said. "We will give him a few more days. No team training yet."