Jurgen Klopp: Daniel Sturridge is 'important' to Liverpool

Liverpool's title dream is 'OVER', Mo Salah has been 'so far off it' and Reds must make decision over 'erratic' Darwin Nunez's future... Jamie Carragher's RUTHLESS verdict after derby defeat
Liverpool close in on Arne Slot as next manager with talks developing quickly to take over from Jurgen Klopp - and a deal worth more than £10m could even be concluded by THIS WEEKEND
Liverpool's title chances were washed away on a blue tide of desire. The timing of this defeat by Everton could not have been worse, writes IAN LADYMAN
Xavi makes HUGE U-turn and 'will now STAY' as Barcelona manager, with club icon changing his mind despite previously insisting 'it was absolutely right decision' to step down this summer
Football agent Saif Rubie says it would have been a 'suicide mission' to threaten former Chelsea chief Marina Granovskaia in row over £300,000 payment
Ruben Amorim held talks with West Ham on Monday - yet remains a 8/1 outsider with Sky Bet to be appointed manager of the Hammers
Jean-Philippe Mateta left £100m-rated Alexander Isak in the shade as he ran riot through heart of Newcastle, writes CRAIG HOPE as Crystal Palace all-but secure Premier League safety
Referees chief Howard Webb will hold peace talks with Nottingham Forest this week after furious statement blasting decisions and Stuart Attwell... with VAR audio set to be played at the meeting
'Get on with it': Wayne Rooney issues blunt response to Virgil van Dijk as the Liverpool captain makes familiar post-match complaint after derby defeat against Everton
Jude Bellingham's new girlfriend REVEALED: Model is 'completely smitten' with the footballer and 'has been staying at his Spanish pad'
Crestfallen Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp APOLOGISES after derby defeat and admits only 'a crisis' at Man City and Arsenal can save their title hopes... as captain Virgil van Dijk questions whether his team-mates 'gave everything'
THE NOTEBOOK: Jack Dowling unites Goodison Park, Idrissa Gana Gueye suffocates Liverpool's creativity and Sean Dyche changes it up after 550 games
PLAYER RATINGS: Jarrad Branthwaite played like he has been at this level for a decade for Everton while Idrissa Gueye was everywhere... but which Liverpool star is given a 3.5/10?
Wayne Rooney SLAMS Liverpool's 'school-boy' defending for Jarrad Branthwaite's goal in Merseyside derby defeat, as Jurgen Klopp's men crumble in intensity of Goodison Park to all-but end title hopes
Revealed: Why Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite's Merseyside derby goal against Liverpool might not have been allowed under new 'zero tolerance' rule set to come in next season
Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold hides on the Reds bench and stops watching against Everton as title hopes slip away in crushing Merseyside derby defeat
Brittle Man United had to drag themselves back yet AGAIN... Erik ten Hag keeps giving reasons for him not to be part of the club's future, writes CHRIS WHEELER
Bruno Fernandes admits Man United 'put ourselves in a position where it's tough to win games' but hails the team's character to come from behind again in 4-2 win over Sheffield United
PLAYER RATINGS: Bruno Fernandes stole the show for Man United and dug them out of a hole... but which two players only receive a 5/10 rating?
THE NOTEBOOK: Sheffield United's leaky defence breaks a record, Man United stand against spending cap as Ethan Wheatley makes his debut for Red Devils
Andre Onana GIFTS Sheffield United opening goal at Old Trafford, as goalkeeper's shocking pass allows Jayden Bogle to strike for bottom club
Erik ten Hag hits back at criticism of Man United's come-from-behind win over Sheffield United and insists his side were in 'total control'... after calling critics 'a disgrace' following FA Cup semi-final
Antoine Semenyo scores the only goal of the game to ramp up Bournemouth's chase for a top-half finish, while Stuart Atwell is embroiled in controversy again...
Wolves boss Gary O'Neil refuses to criticise Stuart Attwell after coming under fire AGAIN for disallowing Hwang Hee-chan's goal against Bournemouth - just days after VAR controversy with Nottingham Forest

Liverpool face Leicester at the King Power Stadium on Saturday evening
Daniel Sturridge faces a challenge to be involved from the start on Saturday
He started for the first time in the Premier League last week against Burnley
The England striker has lost his position as Liverpool's main forward

Published: 17:30 EDT, 22 September 2017 | Updated: 07:16 EDT, 23 September 2017

e-mail

Jurgen Klopp is adamant Daniel Sturridge remains a crucial part of Liverpool's squad and revealed there was never any chance of him leaving this summer.

Sturridge started for the first time in the Premier League last week against Burnley but he struggled to make an impact and faces a challenge to be involved from the start at Leicester on Saturday evening.

The England striker has lost his position as Liverpool’s main forward, with Klopp using him more as an impact player from the bench. Sturridge has not found it easy to adjust to the change.

Daniel Sturridge will be hoping to start when Liverpool face Leicester away on Saturday

Yet for all the speculation about his future at the end of last season, Liverpool received no serious offers for the 28-year-old.

He subsequently had a good pre-season, tackling all the running that was asked of him — unlike in previous summers —and Klopp insists Sturridge's importance within the squad should not be questioned.

'We did speak in the summer and it was good,' said Klopp. 'It was not him saying, "When can I go?" or 'Where can I go?", but about what we planned for this season.

'He is important, not could be. But in the end, I have 11 players. We are fine. We decided not to take him to Leicester on Tuesday but it was again a kind of responsible decision. We could have taken him but he would not have started. Maybe he would have had 10 minutes, 30 minutes or extra time.

Jurgen Klopp insists that the England striker is an 'important' member of the Liverpool squad

'But then we decided it was better to stay here and train twice because he can get better physically. He's always getting better because he can train all the time.'

Meanwhile, Liverpool's supporters will be allowed to travel to Moscow next Tuesday for their Champions League group game against Spartak after there had been fears UEFA would order a ground closure.

Spartak hooligans fired a flare at the referee during their opening Group D game in Maribor. But UEFA have decided to punish the Russians by not allowing them to take travelling fans to Sevilla for their next away fixture on November 1.