Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists that Roberto Firmino's lack of goals this season is 'not even close' to becoming a concern ahead of Saturday's Merseyside derby.
The Brazilian forward is yet to find the net for Liverpool this season, and only has three Premier League goals in the whole of 2020.
Firmino will be attempting to break his duck when Liverpool face Everton on Saturday - a side that he has played on 10 occasions but never scored against.
However, the 29-year-old is renowned for his deft touches and link-up play, not his potency in front of goal, and his manager has played down any concerns about his performance.
“I don’t know when it becomes a problem for me," said Klopp (via the Mirror). "But it is not even close to becoming a problem.
“These are the things where I have to be different to the outside world. I can’t judge moments, periods, like you judge them - for me what is important is how influential the player is, how he works for the team.
“We lost the last Premier League game – before that we had won them all. Bobby hadn’t scored in them but he had been incredibly influential. That is what is important.”
Although he is yet to get off the mark for the Reds this season, Firmino did find the net twice for Brazil during their 5-0 win over Bolivia during the international break.
“Yes, we want him to score," Klopp added. "We want him to come in the positions where he scores. Yes could have scored at Villa, early. And plenty, twice for sure. I know that. He doesn’t like that. I don’t like that. But it is not the one thing I think about when I think about Bobby.
“If a player like Bobby is not scoring, people focus on that. Then you realise sometimes that even from time-to-time he loses the ball. So people ask: ‘Is that Bobby Firmino?’ Yes it is. He scored twice for Brazil. He is in a top shape, to be honest.”
Source : 90min