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Jurgen Klopp admits he needs to pick the right time to unleash Liverpool’s youngsters on the Premier League.

And the Reds boss insists that the January transfer window is the furthest thing from his mind as he looks to get his side back on track after their recent wobble.

Sunday’s draw at home to West Ham, following the previous week’s defeat at Bournemouth, has left Liverpool six points off Premier League leaders Chelsea heading into a congested Christmas period.

Klopp’s resources have been stretched by injuries to the key attacking personnel such as Philippe Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge. Knocks to Emre Can, Dejan Lovren and Marko Grujic have given him further headaches.

It has meant he has had to name three teenagers – Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ovie Ejaria and Ben Woodburn – on the substitutes’ bench in the last two league games.

And though all three have impressed the manager enormously since stepping into the first-team picture, Klopp says it is not as simple as just throwing them into the fray.

“It’s far away from being the perfect situation,” he said ahead of his side’s trip to Middlesbrough.

“Emre is out for this (West Ham) game, for example, and immediately the line-up was clear. If Emre was back then we would have one position to change, with an experienced player.

“I love our young players. They are brilliant, but Sunday was not a game to bring them in. We were fighting for the result, West Ham bring on (Andy) Carroll and we bring.....Ben or Ovie? That makes no sense.

“But we believe in them, of course, and we will use them for sure. It’s not perfect but what can I talk about?”

Klopp said on Monday that Liverpool would go into January with “eyes open” with regards to potential new signings.

We must sort it now, not in January

But he was adamant that improvement, and not recruitment, remains his priority.

“We cannot change it in this moment, because now you will start asking about what I will do in the transfer window!” he said.

“The least problem for me at the moment is the transfer window because we have already a lot of very important games. Should we wait until the transfer window opens or not? We have to sort it out now.

“Players will come back, another will leave, we will see how another one develops and take our decisions. We take what we get.”

Klopp spoke after the West Ham game about how Chelsea’s form, winning their last nine Premier League games, had turned up the heat at the top of the table.

But the German believes that there will be plenty of twists and turns to come yet – for all clubs.

“The difference is, if you want, that we have had our (injury) problems already,” he said. “Other teams will get them because no-one will go through without problems. I cannot change it, so I am not worried about it.

“None of these players – Lallana, Firmino, Mane etc – have played all the time, by the way. They have all had their breaks for different reason. Chelsea plays with the same team all the time, and you don’t ask them if they are worried. Hazard and Costa – they play 90 minutes in every game.

“We cannot change it, so we do not worry.”