Jurgen Klopp dealt further blow with Danny Ings out for the season

The new boss at Anfield suggested he may turn to Roberto Firmino or Divock Origi as injury list lengthens

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp (Getty Images)

It was only when Jürgen Klopp shuffled out of a side room at Melwood having fulfilled his duties with the press that he discovered Danny Ings had become the second player in as many days to suffer a cruciate knee ligament injury.

For the rest of the season, the German will be without two individuals he must surely have been relishing working with.

Ings’s diagnosis was revealed less than 24 hours after Joe Gomez’s campaign met the same fate.

While Klopp’s scouts at Borussia Dortmund had scouted Gomez, Ings’ energetic performances under Brendan Rodgers must have given Klopp confidence that he could improve the forward.

Details of how Ings sustained his injury are unclear, though it is known he was able to walk off the training pitch on Wednesday afternoon and did not realise the severity of the situation until Thursday morning when doctors told him the results of scans taken at a Merseyside hospital.

It was noticed by those who had travelled from far and wide to cover his first pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, that Klopp did not speak with quite the level of same high-spiritedness as six days before when he was unveiled as the new manager at Anfield.

After addressing the general media, Klopp told locally based national newspaper reporters that his immediate task was a personal one, to temper his enthusiasm and “cool down” by not loading his squad with too much new information, recognising that Liverpool’s players had not enjoyed a four month break like he had.

The potential impact of Ings’ injury must have been weighing on his mind because when he was asked whether Christian Benteke’s continued absence means there is more pressure on Daniel Sturridge, he spoke up about the abilities of Divock Origi who now becomes the second choice pick of two available strikers.

Klopp mentioned too that even though Roberto Firmino is also out at the moment, the possibility of using him as a centre forward will be explored when he returns to training. Firmino signed for Liverpool from Hoffenheim in the summer having spent most of his career in the Bundesliga operating as an attacking midfielder.

Klopp had earlier made clear what he expects from his Liverpool team in the short term. “We have to open our chests: let’s run, fight and shoot - defend together, attack together,” he said, as if he were preparing for a game of Call of Duty. “In your best dream, that’s what football looks like.”

Klopp believes it is now time to justify the almost hysterical interest in his appointment.

“We had a dinner with the staff last night. Two people asked for a photo and I had to say no because each photograph is on Twitter. I met a guy with his dog and the next day it was in paper. It looks like I am always in restaurants and bars!

“It’s not too bad but at this moment it is strange because we have not played. Let’s start playing football. We shall see how our relationship develops.”

Klopp's casualty list

Joe Gomez
Young defender out for season after injuring knee with England u21s this week.

Jordan Henderson
England midfielder out till next month after fracturing foot in August.

Danny Ings
Striker out for season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in training.

Christian Benteke
Will miss Saturday's visit to Tottenham with hamstring injury.

Roberto Firmino
Also misses tomorrow with back problem.