REUTERS – Liverpool’s Premier League defeat against bitter rivals Manchester United has hurt their ambitions of breaking into the top four but the club will not give up hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, captain Jordan Henderson has said.

A Luis Suarez-inspired Liverpool finished second in the 2013-14 season to return to Champions League football after a gap of four years.

But the Uruguayan striker left at the end of that campaign and the Reds went on to finish sixth the following term.

After Sunday’s 1-0 loss, Juergen Klopp’s men find themselves ninth in the table after 22 games, eight points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

Henderson admitted he was not sure if Liverpool could still finish in the top four to assure themselves a spot in the continent’s top tournament for clubs.

“We have to keep going right until the very end and see what happens,” Henderson told British media.

“Like I have always said, whether you are in the mix or you are not, you have to take each game as it comes.

“At the minute, we are not but we have to keep fighting, keep putting performances in I am sure we will win more than we lose. Whatever it is, we need to make sure we give our all.”

Liverpool host fourth-tier side Exeter City in their third round FA Cup replay on Wednesday and then travel to relegation-threatened Norwich City in the league on Saturday.

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)