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Jurgen Klopp admits that captain Jordan Henderson and defender Dejan Lovren are set to miss Liverpool's Premier League opener against West Ham.

The duo won't report back to Melwood until a week before the visit of the Hammers on August 12 following an extended break after their commitments at the World Cup.

Klopp, who revealed that he had to force Henderson to take a holiday, doesn't expect them to be involved against Manuel Pellegrini's new-look side.

Asked if the West Ham game would come too soon for them, Klopp said: “If you asked Jordan probably not! It was a hard fight to convince him that he needed a holiday.

“I knew it would happen! On the phone I said 'crazy'. Jordan needs a holiday so that means August 5 he will be back.

“Dejan had a party in Croatia and played a day later so he will be back on August 6. That would mean five days training after three weeks holiday...

“I hope we are in a situation where we don't need to think about using these two (against West Ham).”

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Simon Mignolet were also involved in the World Cup until the final weekend, although Mignolet is expected to seek a move following the signing of Roma keeper Alisson.

(Image: LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images)

Klopp gives his players three weeks off following international tournaments but England teenager Alexander-Arnold is desperate to return to club duty ahead of schedule.

“With Trent I have a special agreement,” Klopp revealed.

“He wanted to be in earlier as well. As he's very young I said 'okay, have two weeks holiday and then we'll speak and see'.

“If you asked Trent he would be good to join us in Evian (for a training camp from July 31 to August 3). But I'm not sure I will do that.

“I want to have them desperately but the season is really long. We have three games before the first international break.

“This time it will be the Nations Cup so it's getting more important! Very nice, very funny! It will be difficult to involve them against West Ham but I don't want to make that line up today.”

Competition for places promises to be greater this season following Liverpool's summer transfer business but Klopp dismissed the idea that's why players want to cut short their holidays.

“That would mean they weren't confident and that makes no sense,” he said.

“Hendo believes 100% in training. He feels like he needs training every day, a bit like Millie (James Milner).

“They are old fashioned professionals which I like. Sometimes the manager has to say 'Stop! Make a break!' They shouldn't be worried about anything like that because we'll need them all.

“Trent was flying. He could probably three years in a row but that wouldn't make sense.

“I think three weeks holiday is really okay. I don't want to sing a sad song but for players who play for their countries, three weeks in the summer is their holiday (for the whole year).”

(Image: Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Liverpool will play just four Premier League matches before Klopp loses his players once again to international duty. England's opening game in the UEFA Nations Cup is against Spain on September 8.

The Reds boss is concerned about the demands being played on his elite talent.

"I don't want to get too football political but if they don't stop with these games.... they are now making it the Nations Cup to make it more important," Klopp said.

"All these players who played at the World Cup have to go there again. I don't understand that 100%. We had four players in the semis which is okay, we can deal with that.

"Tottenham had nine players in the semis. I have no clue how they will do it. That's a big challenge. It's a really tough thing to deal with and in the future we have to change it.

"They play the World Cup, then the Nations Cup, next summer is the final of the Nations Cup which is really crazy.

"Everything is now so important in football and we have to collect their bones afterwards, more or less."