Jurgen Klopp praised Wataru Endo twice after his performance against Burnley, but bemoaned the timing of his emergence as he prepares to miss a number of domestic games.

Endo started for the Reds for the seventh time in a row at Turf Moor, where he had the fourth-most touches of any player (92), won four of his six aerial duels, and created two chances.

In Alexis MacAllister’s absence, the 30-year-old has excelled, developing in confidence and demonstrating why Liverpool pursued him in the summer.

Endo’s presence in the team has not gone unnoticed by Klopp, despite the fact that he will leave for the Asian Cup after the visit of Newcastle.

“I must admit, I enjoyed his game. “It’s unfortunate that he’s found his feet and now goes to the Asian Cup,” Klopp told reporters at Turf Moor.

“That’s alright, that’s how it is. What a young man, what a player. Very crucial, but we have to play without him in January.

“But he’s still here against Newcastle, and then the boys [Endo and Mo Salah] leave, and we have to find another way, and we will.”

“For the time being, I am overjoyed for him. It took him a while to fully show how good he is, but now we can see it. That makes me very delighted.”

Liverpool’s No. 3 will miss at least four games while captaining his country in the Asian Cup, but if they reach the final, he will return in mid-February.

He will be a major loss for the Reds, and Klopp made that clear when he put Endo’s name in the hat for Man of the Match at Turf Moor, which went to Virgil van Dijk in the end.

“By the way, Virgil Man of the Match [is] absolutely fine,” he said in an interview with Prime Video. “Another candidate who could have been considered is Wataru Endo; my god, what a game he played, eh?”

“I would love to see that game without him, that would be really strange.”