Simon Mignolet will start the season as Liverpool's first-choice goalkeeper, Jürgen Klopp has confirmed.

The Belgium international ended last term in excellent form and registered four successive clean sheets as the Reds secured a fourth-place finish in the Premier League.

Danny Ward added to the competition already provided by Loris Karius when he returned from a productive loan spell with Huddersfield Town in 2016-17.

Klopp gave opportunities to all three stoppers during the summer – and it is Mignolet who retains the gloves for today’s opening game at Watford.

“It is Simon. It was a battle at the highest level in all the games in pre-season,” the manager said of the outcome of the competition between the three.

“Simon looked really stable. He was involved in all the sessions. He did not have one bad day, which is cool, and after the season he had last year he is very confident. He has improved and is still improving in parts of his game.

“Loris had a few little issues but was really strong in the games he played. Wardy had a bad pre-season because of back problems.

“He couldn’t train and for a goalkeeper it is even worse to have back problems than another player, but everyone could see against Atletico that we have another good goalkeeper.

“In this moment it is Simon one, Loris two and Wardy three. That is not a decision for the next 20 years.

“Things can happen, but I am as confident as possible that if one gets injured we still have really good options.”