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Jurgen Klopp dismissed suggestions Christian Benteke could leave Liverpool in January – but said it was up to the striker to play his way back into favour at Anfield.

Benteke was left out of Klopp’s starting line-up for the 3-0 defeat at Watford, emerging only as a second-half substitute, by which time the Reds were already two goals down. Divock Origi, his 20-year-old countryman, was summoned from the bench during the first half when Martin Skrtel’s injury necessitated a change.

One report on Sunday morning had suggested Benteke, who has managed five goals in 17 appearances since joining from Aston Villa for £32.5m in the summer, could be allowed to leave the club as early as next month, with Chelsea credited with an interest.

Klopp was uninterested in such speculation in his post-match press conference at Vicarage Road, but suggested that Benteke would have to convince him he was worthy of a return to the Reds starting XI.

He said: “If there is the same probability in that (story) as all the other transfer rumours since I have been here, then I am pretty cool!”

Asked whether it had been a mistake to leave Benteke on the bench, Klopp replied: “That’s the problem; if you lose a game everyone is allowed to ask why this player didn’t play. You never ask after a win.

“Maybe it was not the best decision, I don’t know. Today I decided not to start with Christian. It is up to the player to change this.”

Klopp was unable to offer an update on the fitness of Skrtel, who departed before half time having injured himself in an aerial challenge. “I don’t know,” was his answer when asked about the Slovakian.

Liverpool, of course, can ill afford to lose another senior central defender, with Dejan Lovren already sidelined with a knee problem. Midfielder Lucas Leiva finished the game in defence, alongside Mamadou Sakho, who was making his first start in six weeks following his own knee injury.