Jurgen Klopp has refuted claims that his midfield is not up to scratch ahead of Sunday's Merseyside derby against Everton.
Liverpool suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night. The midfield trio of James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum have been criticised for their performances in the aftermath.
The Reds struggled to create chances and often looked out of their depth at containing PSG's star-studded side.
Supporters have been calling for summer arrivals Fabinho and Naby Keita to make their mark in the middle of the pitch, however the duo were both on the substitutes bench at the Parc des Princes.
However, speaking at his pre-Everton press conference on Friday, Klopp was irked with journalists questioning whether his midfield was overrun.
Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images
“Sorry? What? Our midfield has been overrun? We've conceded 5 goals (in the league), what are you talking about?,” he said.
“Sorry, I didn't see that. We could have scored more goals, but I don't see any problems in midfield to be honest.”
It will be interesting to see how the manager responds on Sunday and whether he drafts in either Fabinho or Keita in to the starting eleven.
The former is likely to start with Jordan Henderson suspended after receiving two yellow cards against Watford in Saturday's 3-0 win.
Should Liverpool revert to their 4-2-3-1 formation against the Blues, Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri will also be hoping to regain their place from the start.
Klopp was clearly an unhappy man during the press conference, once again irked by journalists asking whether his side would be 'ready' for Marco Silva's team.
“Absolutely. The players had the whole week together. Most of the time they talk to each other, they all know about it,” he said.
“He (Henderson) is not available, so what should I do? Ask the FA or…?
“Yes [I'm confident]. I thought when we choose a team I think they are ready. Are they ready? We will see, they have to prove it.
“Don't ask questions when the answer is always on a plate. If you ask the question: yes, I think they are ready, but they have to prove it on Sunday.”
Klopp further spoke about the skipper's absence, insisting that the Reds will find solutions without the midfielder.
Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images
“I don't like to talk too much about players we don't have available, we know after Watford,” he explained.
“We would not miss him because he's not in. We have to play without Hendo, that's all it is.
“As a person in the dressing room, he can do whatever he's doing in other games. That's it.”
Liverpool vs Everton kicks off at 4.15pm on Sunday and you can keep up with all the drama with LFC Globe's live match-day coverage.