Klopp's defiant declaration despite Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane's January exits

Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool WON'T be the same team without their African stars...but insists they WILL have enough to stay in the title race.

Despite conflicting reports over the fate of the Africa Cup of Nations because of rising Covid rates, the Reds boss clearly believes the tournament will go ahead, leaving him without three of his best players at a crucial time.

Liverpool could lose Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita for a month or more, including vital Premier League games away at Chelsea and Leicester.

Rival fans are already predicting the Anfield club will fall apart without their two most influential forwards for potentially six matches, but Klopp says he and his coaches have prepared for this moment since the summer...and will be ready.

"Yes, we knew (and planned for) the Africa Cup of Nations that's true, we knew three would be qualified and be there, we knew that at least two of them will go pretty far in the tournament," he explained.

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"We know how much the three boys have helped us over the past three years, but we always knew they are from Africa and Egypt, so you can not always have the perfect solution, and this is far from perfect.

"But we knew about it and have prepared for it, and we are quite confident we will find solutions. Can we play exactly the same kind of football? Probably not - but who cares?

"We have to play the football we are able to play then. We knew about it and we have to deal with it."

Klopp stayed tight-lipped over whether his planning for the tournament included bringing in new signings in January to cover for Salah and Mane, with the Reds relatively short of numbers up front, saying only: "We obviously don't talk about signings now, especially in public...and unfortunately we are in public."

But he suggested that it would be almost impossible to bring in like for like replacements for his two biggest stars - and instead suggested Liverpool will find a different way of playing for the month they are absent.

"Can you be prepared for something like that, properly, perfectly? Like a one for one replacement for Sadio, a (like for like) replacement for Mo, one replacement for Naby?" he asked.

"That's tricky in each situation, so no. But am I happy with the squad? Yes. And we have options to play and still to play football.

"Look in football you can have a plan and win a football game, no plan and win - so it's all possible.

"The thing is that whoever plays in the period when the three boys are not here, will have a plan, and that gives us a chance to win a football game."

Klopp also believes the next fortnight, when Liverpool play FIVE matches with Salah and Mane, will be just as important in the title race...starting with Newcastle on Thursday.

"That is the most intense period, when we are all together, and this is what we have to deal with now."