Klopp: Liverpool will benefit from Karius v Mignolet battle for no.1 spot - Reds will 100% have strong keeper between posts
"We decided to have two really strong goalkeepers and now we have the situation as they both are fit."
Alex Manninger, Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet of Liverpool during a training session at Melwood Training Ground on August 16, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool will benefit from the intense battle between Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet to be the club's No 1.
The Reds boss refused to be drawn on which keeper will start Saturday's Premier League clash with Hull City at Anfield.
Belgium international Mignolet had been ever present this season prior to summer signing Karius making his debut in Tuesday night's 3-0 win over Derby County in the EFL Cup.
Klopp, who is expected to inform the shot-stoppers of their fate after training at Melwood on Friday, says the situation is "100% positive".
Whoever starts will be under pressure to deliver and the manager is convinced that competition for a place in his line up will drive the keepers on over the coming months.
Klopp - Any Liverpool goalkeeping decision will not be for the next five years
Klopp said: "Is it better we had a goalkeeper in who could make 20 mistakes in a row and you think: 'oh my God, the second one is that bad that I cannot change him' or is it better we have two strong goalkeepers?
"I cannot change the pressure in the game. It is all about handling it and until now it looks great.
"It is all about being perfectly prepared for a game as a lot of things can happen. It is about showing your skills, helping the team and saving our lives in a few situations. That's all.
"We decided to have two really strong goalkeepers and now we have the situation as they both are fit.
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"Loris could have played the whole pre-season and done perfectly then Simon maybe would have been on the bench and Loris has the pressure to stay in the goal.
"There is always pressure but like it is always in football you don't have to think about who is outside and can play instead. It is all about being in the game and doing your absolute best.
"Nobody is free of mistakes. I am not, you are not and goalkeepers are not. It is about having quality and we have quality now."
If Karius starts against Hull it would be a major blow for Mignolet, who has been the club's No 1 for the past three seasons and has enjoyed a solid start to the current campaign.
However, Klopp insisted that even if the young German keeper gets the nod it wouldn't necessarily mean he will keep the shirt in the long-term.
"When will I tell them who is starting? Early enough. It will be before the game for sure," Klopp joked.
"Let's go through a few different kinds of ways in which we could see it.
"Do we say okay Loris had the game against Derby. Was it a real game for a keeper? Not really so give him a home game for example. What would this mean for Simon? It could mean nothing.
"We could say there is an international break coming up so give Loris a home game and Swansea away and then both have had the chance to show what they are. It's not in doubt, it's not a test.
"It's like in all positions, if you play and you win 2-0, you could still change the midfielder thinking we could win the next game 3-0.
"That's possible but with a goalkeeper I accept that things seem to be a bit different.
Karius handed Liverpool debut as Klopp says: 'There is no No 1 in this moment.'
"We have two very strong goalkeepers and we think about how they can perform and how their specific skills can help the team. That's what I have to decide.
"I accept again the circumstances over the keeper's position. But in the end it's 100% positive. Liverpool FC will have a very strong goalkeeper on Saturday between the posts."
Klopp told the Reds at a team meeting that they must not "lose their nerve" during Saturday's game against Hull.
The Reds go into the contest as heavy favourites after back-to-back league wins over Leicester and Chelsea but Klopp says patience will be required. He doesn't want the performance to be affected by anxiety either from his players or the supporters.
"That is why I spoke about Anfield on Saturday. Come on we all know that when you play at home at 3pm, it is so different to Thursday night against say Dortmund," he added.
"I know the opponent, I cannot change but is it only because it is afternoon and not night? I don't know.
"Come on let's do something, for all of us. I spoke to the players about it as the only difference I see is we get frustrated after missing chances. We lose a little bit of our nerve.
"At Burnley we conceded an early goal but it is only a goal. In football we will have this situation a lot of times in our lives. Stay patient, stay positive - that's really important.
"Don't frustrate yourself after five minutes, missing a chance is missing a chance. You have these situations you need to go through together and think: 'that is normal, let's try again'."
Loris Karius
Simon Mignolet