Can Returning Sheyi Ojo Solve Liverpool's Attacking Quandary in the New Year?
As 2016 nears its conclusion and Liverpool plan for a busy festive and an even more congested January, Jurgen Klopp is facing a struggle for numbers in the attacking sector—hampered by injuries and international commitments.
At present, Philippe Coutinho (ankle), Daniel Sturridge (calf) and Danny Ings (knee) are all sidelined, with Ings ruled out for the rest of the season and both Coutinho and Sturridge facing lengthy absences.
Coutinho is not set to return to full fitness until the turn of the year, while addressing Sturridge's injury issues as he previewed the Reds' Premier League clash with West Ham United, Klopp revealed he had "no idea" when the No. 15 would be ready to make his comeback.
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This is compounded by the impending departure of Sadio Mane to the Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament set to run from January 14 to February 5.
Mane's key role for Senegal could see the 24-year-old miss league fixtures against Manchester United, Swansea City, Chelsea and Hull City, as well as their EFL Cup semi-final second leg at home to Southampton and a possible FA Cup fourth-round tie.
In the absence of Coutinho, Sturridge, Mane and Ings, Klopp's main options in attack would be Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino, but with the German typically fielding a three-man forward line this season, he could be left short.
Fortunately, 19-year-old academy winger Sheyi Ojo has recently returned to fitness following a four-month spell out with a back injury, providing Klopp with a ready-made solution to his attacking woes.
However, with supporters split as to whether Ojo can be trusted to occupy Mane's crucial role throughout January, is he truly ready to step into the void?
It may be a gamble for Klopp in what is a formative stage of the season, but on paper, Ojo is the perfect candidate.
Despite only turning 19 in June, and having just 11 senior appearances for the Reds to his name, Ojo has already proved his worth at first-team level, following his return from a muted loan spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers in January.
Ojo linked up with the West Midlands side, then managed by Kenny Jackett, on a season-long loan, signing a new long-term deal with Liverpool on his temporary move, but after just five months at Molineux Stadium, he was recalled to Klopp's squad to relieve an injury crisis on Merseyside.
Wearing the No. 54, Ojo made his debut for the Reds in a 2-2 draw away to Exeter City in the FA Cup third round, replacing goalscorer Jerome Sinclair for the final 20 minutes with the Grecians holding a one-goal lead.
It took Ojo just three minutes to set up Liverpool's equaliser, with his excellent cross-goal pass deflected into the path of Brad Smith, who hammered home for his first and only goal for the club.
The ex-MK Dons youth went on to score in the replay at Anfield, curling a remarkable effort in at the far post from the edge of the penalty area—a spectacular strike that saw Klopp hail his "big skills."
Over Ojo's 11 outings under Klopp in 2015/16, the winger scored once and laid on four assists, averaging a direct goal contribution every 90 minutes—an impressive tally even for an experienced forward.
These weren't merely against League Two opposition in domestic cup competitions either, with Ojo assisting against Stoke City, Swansea and Watford in the Premier League; his bursting run past the Potters' Xherdan Shaqiri and cross to set up Daniel Sturridge's header the pick of his tally.
Klopp named Ojo on the substitutes' bench in Liverpool's UEFA Europa League clashes with United, in their last-16 first leg, and Borussia Dortmund, in their quarter-final second leg, highlighting his faith in the teenager.
That Ojo paired this with fine displays for the Liverpool under-21s in the second half of last season, too, scoring five goals—all against Middlesbrough, including a hat-trick away from home—and assisting another, is a testament to his quality at such a young age.
Flitting between the senior and youth sides, Ojo's malleability proved an invaluable asset for a Liverpool squad stretched for numbers in Klopp's first campaign.
Ojo is an interesting prospect in that he is capable of excelling on either wing, making six appearances on the left and three on the right for Klopp last season, and in this sense, he is unique as a wide player in the German's squad.
With both Mane and Coutinho out for extended periods over the turn of the year, Ojo is capable of taking up their respective positions on the flanks, while his traditional, direct approach is the closest Klopp has to replicating his £30 million summer signing from Southampton.
If Klopp is looking to maintain the flexibility within his forward line in December and January, Ojo presents a worthwhile selection, able to both cut inside and trouble the goalkeeper—as he did away to Exeter in the FA Cup—and drive towards the byline and send in dangerous crosses—as he did against Stoke in the Premier League.
That he has already registered his first assist of the season in the Liverpool under-23s' 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League Cup on December 6—playing his first 90 minutes of the season—suggests he is capable of continuing his formidable form in front of goal, too.
Throughout his career on Merseyside, Ojo's bullish physique has set him aside from his academy team-mates, but it is his cutting edge and mature intelligence that make him a candidate for Klopp.
In many ways, he is an embryonic combination of the best qualities of two of his predecessors, Raheem Sterling and Jordon Ibe.
But comparisons with the duo, who amassed 187 senior appearances for the Reds between them, serve to reveal the pitfalls facing Ojo in his development.
For starters, Ojo is still recovering from an injury that kept him out from the Reds' pre-season tour of the United States to the end of November, and as with 19-year-old centre-back Joe Gomez, Klopp is wise to take a cautious approach.
Both Gomez and Ojo have spent much of their recent rehabilitation with the Liverpool under-23s squad, training intermittently under Klopp at Melwood, looking to make the transition out of the spotlight.
Thrusting Ojo into the first team so soon after his injury could amplify the pressure to perform, and during their time with the club, this expectation often saw both Sterling and Ibe fail to reach their targets on the field.
However, as the winger told the Liverpool Echo's Daniel Matthews at the beginning of December that he is prepared to "prove to the manager that I'm ready," Ojo has the right temperament to avoid this.
For December, Klopp can turn to Firmino and Origi alongside Mane, while Coutinho is due to return at the beginning of January, with Klopp no doubt hoping his recovery coincides neatly with Mane's departure to Gabon.
This should relieve the pressure on Ojo, but with the young winger around, Klopp can look to rotate his options over a two-month period that sees Liverpool play 12 games in 56 days—or a game every 4.67 days on average.
While there will be calls for Klopp to dip into the transfer market to solve Liverpool's attacking quandary in January, in Ojo, the Reds have a proven talent capable of saving them a considerable outlay.
The youngster filled in excellently during the Reds' last winter injury crisis—and he can do the same this time around.
Jack Lusby will be covering Liverpool throughout 2016/17 as one of Bleacher Report's lead correspondents. Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.co.uk. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Follow Jack on Twitter @jacklusby and Facebook here.
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