Shane Callaghan

Divock Origi was a notable absentee for Liverpool on Saturday.

Liverpool temporarily moved top of the Premier League standings with an excellent 1-0 victory away to Newcastle United.

Six days earlier, Origi came off the bench to help secure the points in a Merseyside derby win at home to Everton, adding a second and final goal for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

So when Klopp didn’t include him in the squad before the visit to Newcastle, eyebrows were raised.

The 26-year-old hitman is certain to be leaving Anfield this summer when his contract expires but, given that he offers something that no other Liverpool attacker does, leaving him out of the squad was still a strange decision, despite the fact he’s away in a couple months.

However, Klopp has revealed to a post-match press conference that illness stopped Origi from making the trip to the North-East, claiming that he had been suffering from bouts of vomitting.

He said: “Divock Origi was vomitting and stuff like this, stomach problems. We had this before with Kostas and Curtis so we have to make sure nothing is going around. That’s why he was not involved.”

Origi could potentially play a big role in Liverpool’s quadruple bid between now and the end of the campaign.

Okay so he’s hardly a prime Ronaldo, but he’s certainly capable of scoring goals and he’s an effective plan-b, with his physicality providing a threat that virtually no other attacking player under Klopp has.

Scoring against the Toffees last week was a reminder how he can score a goal from nowhere to either change the game or consoldiate a lead.

And with Klopp’s outfit still in the running to win the three remaining competitions they’re competing in, well somebody like the Belgian marksman could definitely come in very, very handy indeed.

In other news, Romano issues shock claim about striker Arsenal are in talks to sign, he’s taller than Haaland