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LIVERPOOL -- Daniel Sturridge will miss a fourth successive match with a knee injury when Liverpool host Bournemouth in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday -- but is "getting better," according to manager Jurgen Klopp. Sturridge has yet to play for Klopp after suffering the injury in a training-ground collision with teammate Jordon Ibe on Oct. 15. He had hoped to return for last Sunday's Premier League home match against Southampton but was ruled out after the club's medical staff discovered that fluid had gathered around the joint. Klopp has not put a timescale on when Sturridge will return but insists that he is on the road to recovery. "Daniel is getting better, but not quickly enough to be available for us tomorrow," Klopp said. "He is getting better, but we have to wait." Sturridge was restricted to seven Premier League starts last season after suffering two thigh injuries, a calf problem and a torn hip muscle. The hip injury, sustained in March, eventually required surgery in May, and he only returned to action in September, making three appearances since then. Fellow attackers Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino are likely to start against Bournemouth as they step up their recovery from injuries. Both have appeared as substitutes in Liverpool's last two matches after around a month out; Benteke with a hamstring problem, Firmino because of a back injury. Belgium international Benteke, signed from Aston Villa for £32.5 million in July, scored his third goal for the Reds with a header in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Southampton. Klopp has indicated that he will make changes for what is his side's fourth match in 12 days, insisting that he wants to keep players fresh -- but that he is taking the Capital One Cup seriously. He said: "We have to change the team a little bit. At this moment, I don't know how many changes I will make. "I'm not making changes because this tournament is not important for me. It's important for me to say that. I'm making changes because I want to win the game. That's the only reason for this. "We always believe we can win with the team we pick. It's the first time I've competed in this cup. It's a very important game. "I also know that we've had three games in the last nine days, so we have to make changes." Klopp has drawn each of his first three games in charge -- and Liverpool have drawn eight of their last nine in all competitions -- but he says he has faith in his players to improve those results over time. He said: "My faith in this team is really big. We have not had the most satisfying results in the world but then we didn't have easy opponents. "Tottenham away was not easy, Rubin Kazan was not easy and Southampton have lost no away games this season. "I have no problems with this. I know that when you're new at a club you have to accept that the way is hard. We don't have friendly games to get better."
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