LIVERPOOL -- Jurgen Klopp says he is trying to help Liverpool striker Christian Benteke through his struggle for form, while cautioning against adding extra pressure for Sunday's match at his former club Aston Villa to bring out the best in him.
Benteke, 25, has gone 11 games without a goal in 2016, the latest of which was Tuesday's 2-1 FA Cup fourth-round replay loss away to West Ham.
The Belgium international's troubles were taking place in an unforgiving spotlight, Klopp admitted, but he said on Friday that he was trying to boost the striker's confidence and had seen some glimpses of quality in the defeat at Upton Park.
"I can do a lot of things but in the end the last help must be from the player himself," Klopp told a news conference. "I saw lots of good signs against West Ham -- in not the easiest period of his career he really fought.
"There were lots of chances and it would be a bigger problem if he wasn't getting the chances. What we are doing is in the public eye, so you cannot hide yourself.
"I talked to him a few times, gave him some advice as a human being and as a coach, and he's really trying to come back to an easy moment. That's how it is in the squad. If a striker doesn't score often enough, it's only interesting if others aren't striking, either."
Sunday's visit to Villa, the Premier League's bottom-placed side, could pitch Benteke against the club he was signed from for £32.5 million in July.
However, Klopp was wary of putting any onus on the player to use the occasion to make a return to form.
"I have not the best experiences of players coming back to former clubs -- it's more pressure, you want to show more," Klopp said. "I don't know if they welcome him with open arms or whistles, but it's not too important -- it's up to the situation you are in as a person.
"I don't hope too often 'maybe this is the game where something changes' -- it's about circumstances and hard work, not about a person's history with this club."
As he decides who to field in defence at Villa Park, Klopp will assess how long he expects attackers Daniel Sturridge, Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi to be able to manage after all three returned from injury against West Ham.
The German has centre-back Steven Caulker available after a back strain but not left-back Brad Smith, who had cramp after the tie at West Ham.
Centre-back Dejan Lovren, who limped off in the 11th minute against Sunderland last Saturday, will not be in contention until next week's Europa League tie at Augsburg, while fellow defender Martin Skrtel -- out since Dec. 20 -- is back in full training.
Midfielder Joe Allen, meanwhile, will be unavailable "for a while" because of a shoulder injury, Klopp said.
But he was pleased with the progress of the young players who featured in the FA Cup, some of who may now come into contention for league selection.
"It was a perfect opportunity, the perfect moment for us to let them off the leash and let them show how good they are," Klopp said.
"If you think about Kevin Stewart and his situation a few weeks ago, this situation was perfect -- it's hard to get the smile off his face at the moment. OK, with the pain in his foot maybe it is. The same for Pedro Chirivella, it was an excellent performance.
"Brad Smith, with his speed, he will always be in [good] situations. I didn't know Tiago Ilori was a Liverpool player, to be honest, but then I saw he was on loan and we got him here and you see the potential. That's good, really good, but we need to develop and learn. They gave one sign but it's just one sign and we need consistency."