Liverpool still missing Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Alisson, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri
Friday 1 November 2019 16:06, UK
Jurgen Klopp was relaxed after Liverpool's pre-season loss to Napoli, saying his side "will be a different animal" once the Premier League starts.
The Reds take on Manchester City in the Community Shield next Sunday, before hosting Norwich in the opening game of the Premier League season live on Sky Sports on August 9.
A run of one draw and three defeats from their last four pre-season games, culminating in a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to Napoli in Scotland on Sunday left Jurgen Klopp defiant though, after the Liverpool boss said it would leave their future opponents expecting an "easy job" to beat them.
Klopp is still without Mohamed Salah, Alisson, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino following the conclusion of their international commitments while Xherdan Shaqiri and Naby Keita are absent with injury too.
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After their latest defeat, he said: "Missing six players is strange. You lose players during pre-season, we're used to that happening from time to time, but this year they are not even starting from the beginning and coming a couple of days before or after we start the season, it's not good.
"But that's how it is, we prepared everybody as good as possible. We have to fight at the start for the season 100 per cent, with all we have, and if opponents want to analyse us now they'll think easy job, but we'll be a different animal next week."
One Liverpool positive from the game saw 16-year-old Harvey Elliott make his debut the same day he completed his transfer from Fulham, and Klopp was glowing in his summary of the youngster's talents after the match.
"That's why he's here," he said. "He had the choice to go pretty much anywhere, but he wanted to be a part of Liverpool."
