Football
ESPN staff 8y

Jurgen Klopp: Christian Benteke should be fit for Liverpool at Chelsea

Christian Benteke is likely to be fit for Liverpool's Premier League clash with Chelsea, manager Jurgen Klopp has said.

Benteke missed Liverpool's 1-0 Capital One Cup victory at home to Bournemouth on Wednesday, with Divock Origi again taking the central attacking role in a match in which Nathaniel Clyne scored the only goal of the game.

Klopp said that, with Danny Ings set to miss the rest of the season and Daniel Sturridge struggling with a knee injury, he wanted to protect Benteke ahead of Saturday's trip to Stamford Bridge.

"I think Christian will be fit on Saturday," Klopp told reporters. "He had little problems and with our 'striker situation' we can't take a risk.

"Divock played again and he did well -- he worked really hard -- but I think Christian will be back."

Sturridge has yet to feature under Klopp, and the former Borussia Dortmund boss said: "With Daniel, we have to talk about him when he can train and then he will need, I don't know, two, three, four, five, six or seven days' training. That is normal.

"Each footballer needs it and it's not important how good you are unless you have enough strength to play in this really intensive league.

"There is no pressure from me -- I can't put pressure on him or the doctor or the physiotherapist, I have to wait. And when he is back, he has to train."

Liverpool also saw centre-back Kolo Toure substituted after 33 minutes of the victory over Bournemouth.

Klopp said: "Kolo I think was a hamstring, but I am not sure because I only saw him sitting and so we have to wait for the diagnosis."

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