Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted it will be difficult for his team to make major improvements in the coming season.

Without star attacking trio Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, Liverpool have endured a difficult pre-season and lost to Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla and Napoli, and drew with Sporting Lisbon.

The Reds finished last season’s Premier League campaign on 97 points, agonisingly just one point short of champions Manchester City, who they play in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday.

But Klopp’s men capped off last season with victory in the Champions League final, and the German said he cannot deny that his team will be among the favourites to retain European club football’s biggest prize this term.

“The higher you get, the more difficult it is to improve as always,” said Klopp. “We have a lot of space for improvement, but it’s always like this in football. After a season, after a break, first and foremost, you have to try to reach a level of last year again. If it was a good one – and it was a good one.

“So that’s the first target we have. When that happens, then you can make the next steps. It’s not PlayStation where you can (reach the) next skill, whatever. It’s really we have to bring people together, players together, to do the same thing in the right moment and stuff like this.”

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