Jurgen Klopp backs Liverpool star after confidence dip

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has backed Cody Gakpo's quality, with Diogo Jota out injured for the foreseeable future. 

The Portugal forward was hurt in a freak collision at the Gtech Community Stadium in the Premier League against Brentford at the weekend and will be out for “months” rather than weeks, according to his boss. 

With Mohamed Salah having only just returned to the team, and with Darwin Nunez being withdrawn at Brentford with a muscle problem of his own, it is likely that 24-year-old Gakpo will have an extensive part to play over the coming weeks. 

Liverpool’s front three of Salah, Nunez and Luis Diaz looks settled at this stage of the season but with the games coming thick and fast Gakpo will have his opportunities to shine. 

The Netherlands international has scored 10 goals in all competitions this season and possesses plenty of “super things” that Liverpool need, according to Klopp. He netted a goal and delivered an assist against the Bees at the weekend. 

That said, Klopp admits his big-money signing from PSV suffered a knock to his confidence owing to an experiment in using him as a central midfielder. 

While Gakpo’s attacking contributions were never under scrutiny, it was on the defensive part of the role where he struggled when placed there by Klopp over the autumn and winter. 

Klopp impressed with Gakpo's numbers despite confidence dip

"The numbers are 100 percent absolutely alright, or even better, but Cody had a bit of a struggle in between the season which was more my fault,” Klopp told his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s game against Luton on Wednesday night at Anfield. 

“Can Cody play in midfield positions for us? Yes he can, in different moments. Is it his position now? I would say no.  

“The offensive part of that role he can definitely play but with the defensive things, which he was not used to, that cost him a bit of confidence in moments, you could see that.  

“Just a boy who came here and was flying from day one pretty much and then all of a sudden you saw, ok that’s now not exactly the same. These kinds of things happen. 

“That will help him in the long term anyway but in the short term you cannot directly see it. 

“If you would ask Cody he wouldn’t say it's the best season of his life but all we all know how good of a player he is. 

“He is always a threat, he can be a threat in the air, on the ground, has a super finish, good dribbler, can keep the ball for us. Plenty of super things we can use and we need.”