By Daily Sports on October 29, 2016

Benteke is a quality player – Klopp

Jurgen Klopp insists he is not surprised that Christian Benteke is flourishing at Crystal Palace as the striker prepares to face Liverpool for the first time since leaving in the summer.

The Belgium international departed Anfield in August for a deal worth £32 million after just one season at the Merseyside club.

Liverpool’s second most expensive signing — at £32.5m — failed to adapt to Klopp’s system when the German took over, but he did go on to find the back of the net 10 times during his solitary campaign.

Benteke has looked more comfortable under Alan Pardew’s stewardship, with Palace keen to make the most out of the frontman’s aerial presence, and Klopp believes his Liverpool side will know all about Benteke’s potent threat when the teams meet at Selhurst Park on Saturday evening.

“It’s no surprise,” Klopp responded when asked about Benteke at a news conference on Friday afternoon. “When you have a player like Christian in your squad, of course we knew about his quality, but then every player needs the space to perform, needs to space to develop and to show things.

“When you don’t have this opportunity for different reasons — we couldn’t give him [it] all the time — then you feel pressure where there is no pressure. It is like it is. We couldn’t change it.

“I thought — [and] I’m pretty sure Christian thinks the same — that it makes sense that he made the transfer. For Crystal Palace — what a player.

“We know it best because we had it all the time in training. In all moments in the last year he showed his quality in the area where he is really strong. He’s not only good in heading but he’s especially good in heading. [He’s a] wonderful player but now at Crystal Palace.”

Meanwhile, Klopp revealed that he needs to assess the fitness of makeshift left-back James Milner for the trip to the capital on the weekend.

Liverpool’s vice-captain missed Tuesday night’s EFL Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur with illness, while there are no other fresh injury concerns within the squad.

“A few knocks, how it always is, but nothing else,” Klopp continued. “Milly was ill on Tuesday so there was no chance for him.

“Yesterday he had a running session only to look how he feels. He was OK and now we have to see. I’m not sure in this moment. But apart from the knocks in the last game, it should be all (players available).”

The Reds boss also said that he is hoping to give Joe Gomez some game time in the near future as the young defender looks to take to next step in his recovery. The 19-year-old has been out injured for over a year and Klopp has stressed the need for patience with former Charlton Athletic rookie.

“He is good,” Klopp added. “We always talk about all the players, but with the medical department and the fitness coaches we are talking about Joe. He looks really good at the moment, but it is a long way — he was injured for a long time and now it is a long way back, so there is no rush in it.

“Thank God we don’t have to put pressure on him, like we need him tomorrow or something. He is still a young boy so we can give him time to come back in the right moment.

“In the next few weeks, maybe in the international break when we can get a game or something, he will play a few minutes and then we will have a look what makes sense, under-23s or whatever.

“He looks good, he feels good. He is tired a lot, especially after the sessions, but that’s normal. He is all in a good way.” (NAN)

•Photo show  Christian Benteke

Source Daily Sports

Posted October 29, 2016

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