Divock Origi was again left out of the Liverpool squad despite injuries to two other forwards, with fans drawing conclusions from the Belgian’s omission at Leeds.
With Roberto Firmino and Takumi Minamino sidelined for the trip to Elland Road, Origi was expected to make the substitutes’ bench for only the second time in four games this season.
But as Liverpool released their teamsheet at 3.30pm – with Harvey Elliott and Thiago starting in midfield – the No. 27 was conspicuous in his absence.
Having not made the matchday squad since the Premier League opener at Norwich on August 14, Origi was tipped to leave the club before deadline day, but no suitable offers arose.
And despite Jurgen Klopp stressing in his pre-match press conference on Friday that he was “all OK” with the club’s business in the summer transfer market, the situation is certainly a strange one.
That was reflected as Liverpool fans took to social media and This Is Anfield’s comments section to react to Klopp overlooking Origi:
Divock Origi can't even make the bench. This story is very strange.
— Moby (@Mobyhaque1) September 12, 2021
Origi not making the bench even though Firmino and Minamino are injured.
— – (@AnfieldRd96) September 12, 2021
No Firmino. No Minamino. No summer signing.
And Divock Origi still doesn't make it onto the bench.
— Jack Lusby (@LusbyJack) September 12, 2021
Klopp said he sees Origi as a gamechanger but won't even include him on the bench despite Firmino and Minamino being injured hmmm
— ?? (@t__xny) September 12, 2021
Klopp will say Origi shows quality in training, then keep him in the basement on Matchday
— K. (@KayethenLFC) September 12, 2021
“Good lineup. And it seems that even the kitchen staff is ahead of Origi in the pecking order…”
– Alex-LFC in the comments.
We’re paying Origi £60,000 a week to sit and watch the games like the rest of us
— Josh (@KloppStyle) September 12, 2021
https://twitter.com/9squeeze/status/1437062884543143938
both firmino and taki are injured yet origi couldn't make the bench, yet we aren't allowed to voice our frustrations and say that the attacking depth is awful..
— Vik (@LFCVik2) September 12, 2021
Concerning that Klopp clearly sees Ox as a more capable back-up to the front three than Origi … how bad a player has he become in the past 12-18 months? It’s sad to see.
— Chris ?? (@TheVirgilEffect) September 12, 2021
“You look at that bench and you think, no way Klopp is happy with that team depth. Not a single striker on the bench. Ox cannot take that kind of responsibility.”
– Zaahir Mulloo on Facebook.
https://twitter.com/SamueILFC/status/1437062446871687170
It has been reported that there are no injury concerns for Origi, with the striker simply not considered for a place in the 20-man squad.
Seemingly, the manager decided that the five midfielders selected for the bench – Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner, Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – would be more useful.
Oxlade-Chamberlain is the most likely alternative in attack if changes are required, though both Jones and Keita have been used on the wing in the past.
Things could change for Origi – and they clearly have in the past – but with almost four months until the January transfer window opens, it could be a long wait for minutes for the 26-year-old.
