Liverpool injury news: Christian Benteke ruled out of Tottenham clash as Zeljko Buvac arrives at Melwood

Jurgen Klopp will be without Christian Benteke for his first game as Liverpool manager against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday 17 October. The Belgian striker is yet to recover from a hamstring injury sustained during the game against Norwich City on 20 September.

According to the Liverpool Echo, the striker, who joined the club from Aston Villa in the summer, is yet to resume training and is still undergoing treatment at the club's Melwood training base. Benteke has scored two goals in six games for the Reds this campaign and will be a big miss for the trip to White Hart Lane.

The Belgian international was not part of the team for his country's Euro 2016 qualifier wins over Andorra and Israel, which ensured their place in the European Championships in France next year. The Belgians also reached the summit in the Fifa rankings owing to their double win during the international break.

Meanwhile, Roberto Firmino, who injured his back during the Merseyside club's penalty shootout win over Carlisle United in the Capital One Cup, is ahead of schedule in his recovery process with reports claiming that he is closing on a return to full training with the first team. The Brazilian, who was absent for his country's World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Venezuela, is said to be back in training, but has not yet joined the squad.

The duo's absence for the clash at White Hart Lane will be a big blow to Klopp, who will be keen to start his reign at the Anfield club with a win. The German manager, however, has received a boost after his long-time assistant and friend Zeljko Buvac was granted a work-permit to begin his job at Liverpool.

According to the Mirror, the Bosnian, who has been with Klopp from his time as the manager of Mainz, oversaw Wednesday's training session at Melwood alongside the former Dortmund manager. It was initially feared that Buvac will not be in the dugout at White Hart Lane due to the delay in the process, but his presence will be welcomed, especially after Klopp's admission that he has a telepathic relationship with his assistant, whom he refers to as his "brain".