Liverpool have suffered a massive injury blow as star striker Christian Benteke has been ruled out of the Capital One Cup fourth round tie against Bournemouth and doubtful for weekend league clash against Chelsea.
He arrived at Anfield from Aston Villa on a £32.5m deal. A hamstring injury saw him spend a month on the sidelines and return to action during the Reds’ Europa League clash against Rubin Kazan.
Benteke came on a second half substitute against Southampton and scored a brilliant header from James Milner’s cross from the right hand side. However, Sadio Mane’s late goal saw Jurgen Klopp wait for his first victory.
According to The Guardian, the Belgium international has suffered a knee injury in the final minutes of the match against the Saints. That is likely to rule him out of the midweek Capital One Cup tie.
With Benteke out of action, he now joins Danny Ings and Daniel Sturridge as the list of injured striker at Anfield. The situation leave Divock Origi as the only recognised strikers in the squad.
An ACL injury has seen the former Burnley man spent most part of the 2015-16 season on the sidelines. In addition to this, Sturridge is struggling with his ongoing injuries and he will also now be included in the squad to face Eddie Howe’s side.
The Guardian also claims the England international is also doubtful to face the Premier League champions. Klopp will take his men to Stamford Bridge as they take on struggling Chelsea in the league tie later this weekend.
However, one thing is certain – an away game to a Chelsea in disarray is the perfect opportunity for a master tactician and motivator like Klopp to get his team back into winning ways. Klopp’s tactics may just be pefect for this Chelsea visit, and the odds on a Liverpool win will make betting on them even more worthwhile. You can get this great offer from Ladbrokes today when you use a Ladbrokes promo code from Ladbrokespromocode.UK. New customers who use the code F50 can claim a whopping £50 free bet on the next Liverpool match – which should be the Chelsea game for you this weekend!
Why Benteke and Sturridge injuries are a lifeline for Mourinho
Chelsea’s misery continued as they lost to Stoke City on penalties in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup. Jose Mourinho has seen his side win only three matches in league so far this season, which includes a 2-1 defeat to West Ham United in the last league tie.
The Mirror claims the former Real Madrid managed will be sacked if the west London club suffers a defeat at the hands of Liverpool. Benteke and Sturridge are a threat up front and could trouble the struggling Chelsea defenders, if both play alongside each other.
Even one of the two strikers’ presence could be sufficient to provide threat up front. Having the former Chelsea striker will also bring the best of Philippe Coutinho as together they are a formidable force while going forward.
Their absence will only be a blessing in disguise for Mourinho. However, he has his own issues as his star striker Diego Costa could be doubtful for the clash against Liverpool. The Brazil-born Spain international was hospitalised with a rib injury against Stoke.
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