Oh dear Liverpool: when Divock Origi is your backup for the Champions League you know it is time to invest.

Look away now Liverpool fans: Roberto Firmino is a doubt for the Champions League clash against Barcelona after suffering a small muscle tear in training last week.

The Belgium forward has been tipped to step in if Roberto Firmino misses Liverpool’s huge trip to Camp Nou to face Barcelona on Wednesday.

The Brazilian was rested during last week’s 5-0 battering of Huddersfield Town after suffering what manager Jurgen Klopp called a “small muscle tear”.

Understandably the Liverpool boss is hopeful that the star forward will be available to play in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final in Catalonia, for what might be their best shot at European glory, despite reaching the final last year.

In the disastrous case of Firmino’s absence though, Origi has been nominated as the man to replace him, according to Anfield legend Mark Lawrenson.

"No Roberto Firmino would be a massive miss for Liverpool , he is the common denominator in the front three," he told the Liverpool Echo.

"He just dovetails brilliantly with the other two [Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah] and he's such a clever player, too.

"…Origi gives Liverpool something different to what Firmino does. He has great pace does Divock and can play alongside that frontline. He can even drift off to the left if he's asked too and we've seen that this season.

"I wouldn't say missing Firmino 'weakens' Liverpool as Origi just offers something a bit different, but I'd like them to go to Barcelona with Roberto Firmino in the squad.”

Unfortunately, we would have to disagree with this hopeful statement. Missing Firmino seriously weakens the Liverpool attacking line-up, and it brings to light just how necessary it is for Klopp to invest in the summer to bring in a suitable replacement. Someone, maybe, more like-minded and with similar qualities as the Brazilian. Someone that isn’t Divock Origi.

It is not that Origi is a necessarily bad player. He is not particularly good, no – but he does a job off the bench. However, when you are asking him to start in a Champions League semi-final then you are setting yourself up for a fall.

Liverpool fans, do you think you need to sign a new striker in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below...