Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool are entering a potentially season-defining period as he told his fringe players: “Be ready to step up.”

Saturday's Premier League trip to Watford marks the start of a gruelling run of 11 games in the space of 40 days culminating in a showdown with title rivals Manchester City.

It will test the depth of Klopp's squad as the Reds look to keep their challenge for glory on track.

"Of course we had a good start but we knew always it was only the start," Klopp said.

"It’s good, absolutely. If we come through that period similar to how we started then it could be a really good season We don’t know that in the moment but we have to try.

"We have to use the squad. It’s quite difficult to change around the end of December and January. You never want to make eight or nine changes because of rhythm, tuning, other important stuff as well.

"If you play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday that is difficult but now we play Saturday, Wednesday (PSG away), Sunday (Everton home) so that is still okay with recovery.

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"It is then about having different options for different opponents. It’s good to have different players to close different spaces, hopefully it stays like this."

Dominic Solanke, Divock Origi, Joel Matip, Alberto Moreno and Adam Lallana are among those whose game time has been limited so far this season.

Solanke returned to Melwood on a high this week after scoring four goals for England Under-21s in back-to-back wins over Italy and Denmark.

The 21-year-old striker hasn't made a single senior appearance for the Reds so far this season but Klopp insists his chance will come.

What gives Klopp the belief that Solanke will make the grade at Anfield?

"His quality, his attitude," Klopp said.

"He is not coming from the best football situation in his life but he plays these games for England which is good. I was really happy when I saw it.

(Image: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

"There is a long career to come. At the end of his career, Dom Solanke will not really know about these two or three years. He’s only in the situation he is in because he is so good. That is why people already think about why he doesn’t play. He started early with games at Chelsea.

"With himself and with his family, everything will be fine and he can make the career he has in his mind. I hope that will be here. Can I be sure we will see that? I really hope.

"He is only here because he has the quality to help us. That’s it. Football is not like this that you (covers his eyes and randomly picks a player) that I have four strikers and 'whoops today it's Dom Solanke, let's go for it.'

"The other ones are not too bad. Divock Origi is a really, really good striker and is in a similar situation. That is because of the quality of the other boys, no other reason."

With Daniel Sturridge regarded as Roberto Firmino's deputy and Klopp also favouring playing Mohamed Salah through the middle, the challenge facing Solanke and Origi is huge.

"Form can drop, there could be injuries - you have to be ready," he said.

"They choose that situation as well. They have the benefit of training and all the things we offer here. If you don't play, you still have to improve. It's about the player.

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"In the moment when it's clicking like crazy in training, I'm not blind, I'm watching. The only problem is that we don't train that often. We recover most of the time. It's a bit of a tricky situation but everything will be fine.

"We're only talking now about half a year or a year of their careers, nobody remembers that."