You'll have plenty to celebrate when you subscribe to the Liverpool FC newsletter Sign me up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Jurgen Klopp admits this season has begun with immense pressure on his Liverpool side, as the Reds chase success in both the Premier League and Champions League.

And the German coach insists he will not be afraid to rotate as he did against Crystal Palace throughout the campaign – providing the replacements continue to impress.

Klopp made five changes for the 1-0 win over the Eagles, a game sandwiched in between the two legs of their Champions League qualifier against Hoffenheim.

The win at Anfield also represented their third of the season just seven days in, with a further two to come in the next week.

It is a hectic, high stakes start for Liverpool, who will defend their 2-1 first leg advantage against the Bundesliga side on Wednesday, before the visit of Arsenal on Sunday.

Klopp admits his side have had to start this season hitting the ground running if they want to establish a challenge in their two most important competitions this year.

“We all have pressure and it’s a quick start always,” Klopp said. “You need to be there immediately, deliver and all that stuff.

“The difference this year is that it’s really hard, we all know a draw today, two points instead of four or six, it doesn’t feel good but you can sort it.

“You can’t do this in a Champions League qualifier. This intensity is really hard, for both teams not just us, yes that’s very special and that’s why we made the changes today.

“Okay with Trent (Alexander-Arnold) it’s different, it makes no sense to let him play four games in eight games, but the others we give them a rest because it’s really intense mentally.

“The pre-season is friendly games, I don’t like that word but they are. In the moment it’s a test game and really important but when you’re back nobody is interested. It was a friendly game. The difference could not be bigger in the first moment.

“Last week I thought in one part Watford was better than that, it was just physicality because they were just a little bit more ready. The challenge was to be 100% for Watford, we can’t think about the Hoffenheim game, but we can’t forget about it.

“That’s the challenge, that’s the situation. So far, so good. We know we give ourselves one day for recovery and everything starts again.

“You can (make a mistake), you should not. For all of us it’s this kind of quick start.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

“Take Crystal Palace as an example. Two weeks ago, it was a new manager, good team, then in one week they lose 3-0 and lost Wilfried Zaha. Big shadow.

“You cannot have solutions for this but everybody expects it.”

Klopp called upon Andy Robertson, Ragnar Klavan, Joe Gomez, James Milner and Daniel Sturridge in the win over Frank de Boer’s side.

Substitutes Dejan Lovren, Emre Can and Mohamed Salah are all expected to return to the starting line-up on Wednesday, while full backs Alberto Moreno and Trent Alexander-Arnold should also return despite not being named in the match day squad on Saturday.

Management of the squad could be vital in European competition this season, although Klopp is taking nothing for granted despite the advantage they hold over the German side.

When asked if he will continue to shuffle his pack in the Champions League group stages, he replied: “That was not the smartest last question because I do not talk about the group stage.”

What of any European engagement then, whether that be the Champions League or Europa League?

“If we can, we have to. It’s all about the boys. If they play in a game like this today, like they did after not having a game so far.

“Joe (Gomez) no minutes, (Andy) Robbo in a new club, no minutes for Ragnar (Klavan) or Daniel (Sturridge), if they perform like this then yes, we will change, 100%.

“If not, we can’t because we cannot give a game away, we cannot say that’s not that important. We all know that’s not possible, especially in England, so we should not even try it.”