Jurgen Klopp makes Wataru Endo claim with Alexis Mac Allister out of Brentford clash

Jurgen Klopp has backed Wataru Endo claiming he is an important player for the squad with a hectic schedule coming up.

Endo, 30, has had a mixed start to life on Merseyside and has only started one Premier League game to date. It is likely that will change at the weekend as Alexis Mac Allister is suspended for the game.

Plus, there's no Stefan Bajcetic, Thiago and both Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch were absent for their trip to Toulouse meaning he is in line to start his second game in the league.

Speaking ahead of the trip to Brentford, Klopp was quizzed on the Japanese international's start to life at Liverpool and he spoke about patience as he quoted Andy Robertson's slow start to life at Anfield.

“Wataru was for us all the time very important,” said the boss. “That’s again another part of football: you line up an XI, they play well and then you think the others don’t do well. That’s not true.

“Wataru makes steps every day and that’s important. We had stories like this in the past. This year it looks a little bit different, that players maybe fit in a bit quicker, but we had stories: Andy Robertson didn’t play for half a year, nobody can remember it anymore but it was like that.

“Other players as well had their struggles in the beginning. That’s all fine. He didn’t even struggle, we played pretty good, successful and he is super-important for us.

“He played a lot of games. If he plays all the games, you say, ‘He is not starting in the Premier League.’ It’s nothing to do with the Premier League or whatever, it’s a little bit rhythm. But he will definitely start games in the Premier League, 100 per cent."

Despite not starting many games, he's still made 12 appearances overall and he's started both EFL Cup games and all four of their Europa League games so far.

With players out, the game against Brentford stands as a perfect opportunity to make a statement to Klopp and the Liverpool fans ahead of what is a hectic schedule following the international break.