Return of Liverpool's Christian Benteke pleases Jurgen Klopp
Thursday 28 April 2016 12:47, UK
Jurgen Klopp admits he is delighted to have Christian Benteke back in the Liverpool squad for Thursday's Europa League semi-final at Villarreal.
Benteke returned to full training earlier this week after a month out with a knee ligament injury sustained on international duty with Belgium.
The 25-year-old, who last featured for Liverpool in the 3-2 defeat at Southampton on March 20, is expected to be named among the substitutes for the first-leg tie at the Estadio El Madrigal.
Benteke's return to fitness is a welcome boost for Klopp, who lost Divock Origi to a "serious injury" during last week's Merseyside derby.
Klopp said: "The best news is that Christian is back. He's not had too many training sessions in the last few weeks but he's come back in the last few days.
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"He's not in his best shape but he's in really good shape, that's for sure.
"For us, it's perfect that he's back - we only have players here in Villarreal who are ready to play a part in the game, there are no tourists. So, if we need him, we can use him."
The Belgium forward has struggled to score on a consistent basis for Liverpool since joining the club from Aston Villa for £32.5m last summer.
Benteke has scored only eight times this season and last month accused Klopp of "ignoring him", leading to speculation that he could leave Anfield in the summer.
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