"We need him desperately" - Jurgen Klopp stresses on importance of Liverpool man amidst lack of options

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has stressed the importance of Takumi Minamino in the squad.

The Japan international marked his return from a muscle injury in their emphatic 4-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup last weekend.

The 26-year-old joined the Merseysiders from RB Salzburg in 2020 but struggled to establish himself in the first-team, paving the way for a loan spell at Southampton last season.

Now back at Anfield, Minamino has once again struggled for consistent gametime but his goal on Sunday proved his value to the side.

Liverpool are currently missing two of their star players, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, both of whom are participating in the African Cup of Nations with Egypt and Senegal respectively.

This has severely depleted Klopp's options in attack, but fortunately for him, Roberto Firmino has returned from injury, while Minamino is also looking bright.

Speaking to the press after the game, he said:

"Taki trained only twice after his injury, the game was part of his rehab.

"He is back and is very, very important for us, especially now we have a lot of games coming up and we all know two of our main guys up front are not here."

Minamino replaced Max Woltman at half-time of the match for his first appearance in three games.

Although he didn't find the net, the 26-year-old was a lively attacking presence for the hosts and is likely to play a big part in their next few games too.

"I liked Taki a lot when he came on. He's actually in a really good shape but, of course, the injury interrupted it slightly, that's how it is.

"But now he's back, it's good and we need him desperately."

Liverpool play Arsenal on Thursday in the Carabao Cup.

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Minamino, Firmino key to Liverpool in Salah and Mane's absence

With Salah and Mane not scheduled to return until next month, the onus will be on Minamino, Firmino and 17-year-old Kaide Gordon, who scored in their recent FA Cup game.

While none of these players are capable of emulating the aforementioned duo, each comes with their own set of abilities that can fire the Reds forward in these dire times.

If managed to remain fit, then this new 'trio' could be pivotal to Liverpool's fortunes in the next few games.