Klopp holds out Europa hope for ailing Reds stars
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LIVERPOOL captain Jordan Henderson and striker Divock Origi have a small chance of making the squad for this month’s Europa League final, manager Juergen Klopp has said.
Henderson has not featured for Liverpool since he damaged knee ligaments in a Europa League tie against Borussia Dortmund in April, while Origi hurt his ankle in last month’s Merseyside derby win over Everton.
Liverpool overcame a one-goal deficit in the second leg of its Europa League semifinal against Villarreal on Thursday night, beating the Spanish side 3-0 to book itself a place in the final against Sevilla on May 18.
“I don’t know about Jordan in this moment... I saw in his eyes that he thinks he has a chance. It is the same with Divock,” Klopp told reporters yesterday ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League clash against Watford at Anfield.
“You need to be ready the Sunday before otherwise we can’t take the risk. No doubt he will be fit for the European Championships.”
Klopp also felt there was no point complaining about Liverpool’s meager allocation of just over 10,000 tickets for final in Basel at St Jakob-Park, with a capacity of 35,000, and urged supporters without tickets to travel to Switzerland.
“What I learned in life is what I can’t change I don’t think about. It’s a wonderful opportunity and we can’t change the stadium,” Klopp said.
“It’s worth going even if you don’t have a ticket to enjoy the city. We can’t think about the size of the stadium. If you ask who wants to see this final you will find 30 million people so there is no chance. It’s like this.”
Liverpool stands in the way of a third straight title for Sevilla as the clubs with a rich pedigree in Europe’s second-tier competition reached the final.
Sevilla beat Shakhtar Donetsk 3-1 at home to advance 5-3 on aggregate and maintain its impressive recent history in the competition. The Spanish club is looking to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League for a record-extending fifth time in the past 11 years.
Liverpool itself is a three-time winner. Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana scored second-half goals to add to a 7th-minute own goal by Bruno Soriano in the Reds victory.
Liverpool has beaten Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, and now Spain’s fourth-best club in the knockout stages on the path to the final.
“Wonderful night, brilliant game from my side. What a performance,” said Klopp, who cupped his ear toward the team’s jubilant fans and punched the air wildly as he stood in the center circle after the final whistle.
The charismatic Klopp has guided Liverpool into its first European final in nine years, keeping alive the club’s chances of playing in the Champions League next season. The winner of the Europa League qualifies for Europe’s elite competition.
Spanish teams have dominated European competition this season— Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will face off in the Champions League final this month — but there will be no all-Spanish final in the Europa League after Liverpool’s comeback against Villarreal.
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