Divock Origi’s Injury a Bitter Blow, But Liverpool Have More Than Enough Options To Cope

In a season of setbacks and comebacks for Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp’s side were delivered another disappointment as blossoming striker Divock Origi crumpled to a heap in the Reds’ 4-0 win over Everton, marring the German manager’s first experience of the Merseyside derby—particularly given it was an otherwise positive one. Ramiro Funes Mori’s challenge was a horrific one, dripping in malice, and the centre-back’s subsequent apology will have been a bitter pill to swallow for Klopp as he heard the extent of Origi’s injury: the Belgian is set to miss the rest of the season.

This is a situation typical of the Reds’ 2015/16 campaign, with Origi’s rise to the fore cruelly undermined by injury—just as with Joe Gomez, Danny Ings, Jordan Henderson and, most recently, Klopp’s midfield general Emre Can. Liverpool supporters seemingly just can’t have nice things.

Signed from Lille in 2014, in a deal worth around £10 million, Origi immediately rejoined the Ligue 1 side on loan, looking to utilise the 2014/15 campaign to further his development as Brendan Rodgers bedded in two other summer attacking signings, Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli. But just as Rodgers’ centre-forwards struggled, Origi’s spell in northern France proved to be a toxic one. The striker scored nine goals in 44 appearances in all competitions, and was named in L’Equipe’s worst team of the season, alongside soon-to-be Newcastle United winger Florian Thauvin. Origi spent much of the season enduring jeers from the Lille support, before joining up with Rodgers’ squad for pre-season last summer with his confidence drained.


Replacing Lambert and Balotelli in Rodgers’ squad for 2015/16, the youngster understandably took a backseat as Ings, Daniel Sturridge and Christian Benteke—older players, with more experience of the Premier League—served as the Ulsterman’s principal attacking options. When deployed, he looked raw and lacking in the physicality required to lead the line in the English top flight; restricted to just one substitute’s appearance in the league, with a further three outings in cup competitions.

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Such is life on Merseyside, injuries forced Klopp’s hand on his arrival at the club in October, and Origi was handed his full league debut in the manager’s first game in charge, operating as a lone centre-forward as Liverpool held Tottenham Hotspur to a 0-0 at White Hart Lane. “Everybody has encouraging words for me so I just have to continue like this and it will be okay. I feel for sorry for the boys that are out but I will just try to support the team and do my best,” Origi said after that game. “Everybody says that I have the qualities, I just have to work hard and the goals will come.”

Klopp will have noted this humility, and the willingness to get his head down and work for his place, and Origi—a target during Klopp’s time at Borussia Dortmund—rose in the 48-year-old’s estimations. Set a tailor-made fitness regime, Origi used a spell out with a knee injury over the turn of the year to improve his body strength, returning 5kg heavier and a shirt size larger, and following that initial layoff, scored six goals in 16 appearances, averaging at a goal every 125 minutes; taking his season’s tally up to 10 goals in 33 games, or a goal every 160 minutes. That five of those came in Origi’s last five games, including one in each of Liverpool’s Europa League quarter-final legs against Borussia Dortmund—one of the best teams in Europe—only compounds the Reds’ loss.

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Against Dortmund, Origi showcased his all-round quality, as a pacy, dynamic centre-forward capable of both operating on the shoulder of defences, but also thriving with his back to goal, employing his new-found strength to hold up the ball and combine with the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana. Coming on as a half-time substitute in Liverpool’s 4-1 win at home to Stoke City in mid-April, Origi also highlighted his quality drifting into wide areas, dovetailing with Sturridge and terrorising Potters full-backs Phil Bardsley and Erik Pieters.

At 21 years old, Origi is primed to develop into a complete centre-forward, and is perhaps the player best placed to replicate Robert Lewandowski’s exceptional output under Klopp at Dortmund.

But while losing Origi is a major blow to Liverpool’s momentum at this crucial stage of the season, Klopp finds himself in a rather unique position in the landscape of 2015/16 of having an abundance of quality available in his attacking ranks. Sturridge, Firmino, Coutinho and Lallana are all in great form, with the likes of Jordon Ibe and Sheyi Ojo showing their promise as youthful alternatives, and with Benteke set t .o return from injury in the coming weeks, the Liverpool manager is able to navigate what is a hugely important stretch of games.

Triumph over Dortmund has led Liverpool to the Europa League semi-finals, where they are set to take on Villarreal—first at the Estadio El Madrigal, then at Anfield—looking to secure a place in May’s final against either Shakhtar Donetsk or reigning champions Sevilla. While in the league, Klopp will still hold faint hopes of a top-four finish, guaranteeing Champions League qualification.

Injury to Origi is crushing, but the enduring, world-class quality of Sturridge, the more-than-capable Firmino and the useful plan B that is Benteke should provide Klopp with ample alternatives over the next six or seven games.

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