Claudio Ranieri insists no Leicester player is assured of a starting place this season

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri says he isn't afraid to drop last season's title-winning players from his starting line up if they are underperforming.

Ranieri is preparing his side for a difficult looking trip to face Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

And the 62-year-old Italian insists no player, not even last season's 24-goal top scorer Jamie Vardy, is untouchable when it comes to selection.

"Of course there is not a hierarchy - it's not [a case that] somebody who played last season is assured to play this season," he said.

"I watch every training session, I watch every match and if someone I see is better, then I'll change. Nobody is sure of their shirt to play at the beginning.

"Everybody has to stay at the highest level and when I see them down I have a player to replace them.

"That is important. If at the end of December we continue in the Champions League or go on in the [EFL] Cup and there is somebody not happy I can believe it and I can help him. But as long as we're together we have to be happy.

"At the end it is not the first XI who won the title, all the players won the title, all the players are champions of the Premier League, I don't remember who played 38 games or one. For me it was a group who won the title."

Vardy faces added pressure to score against the Reds following the £28m arrival of Islam Slimani from Sporting Lisbon.

The Foxes also forked out £16m to sign CSKA forward Ahmed Musa and Ranieri admits Leicester have found it far easier to sign star players with a Premier League title under their belt.

"Yes of course," he said. "Until now we had to find just the players with a not high target, but a big future.

"Now we can also buy some players who are 26, 27, who are more solid players and can help us.

"Now we are champions, we play in the Champions League. Maybe last season some players didn't want to come, or didn't choose Leicester, now they can choose Leicester. It is a big step what we did."

Ranieri will be hoping for a morale-boosting victory against Jurgen Klopp's Reds before the Foxes make their Champions League bow against at Club Brugge on Wednesday evening.