Injury may have ended Jordan Henderson's season prematurely, but the captain's influence on Liverpool's quest for Champions League qualification should not be underestimated, according to Jürgen Klopp.

Henderson has not played for the Reds since the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on February 11 due to a foot problem.

Klopp was asked whether he has concerns over the midfielder’s fitness and recovery during his press conference to preview Sunday’s end-of-season meeting with Middlesbrough.

But while the manager acknowledged that the campaign was ‘a little bit too short for him to come back’, he revealed that Henderson has still fulfilled an ‘unbelievably important role’ during his time on the sidelines.

LFCTV GO: Watch Jürgen's pre-Boro media briefing in full

“It’s not that difficult an injury, the problem is only that it’s difficult to make the rehabilitation because this injury, all it needs is time,” Klopp said.

“I had situations like this [before]. I don’t know how many players I’ve managed in the last few years, but at one point always you think ‘it would have been better if he would have broken his leg’ or whatever [because] then you know everything about it. 

“That’s the situation, but we were not one second without our captain because Hendo is always around. He has an unbelievably important role, not only on the pitch but it’s another role in the dressing room, here at Melwood and all that stuff, and he’s always here so we are never without him and will not be without him on Sunday, of course. 

“But no, there are no concerns [about his recovery], the only problem is the season was obviously a little bit too short for him to come back, that’s all.”

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