Virgil van Dijk insists any Liverpool player not prepared to deal with the new competition for places may as well leave the club.
Jurgen Klopp has been granted the luxury of rotating his side thanks to the club’s summer transfer business and the return to fitness for a number of players bolstering his strength in depth.
Rarely in the modern Premier League era have the Reds boasted such an array of game-changing options on the bench, most recently evidenced in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
Daniel Sturridge entered the action late on to supply a stunning 89th minute equaliser, adding to the impact of Xherdan Shaqiri and Naby Keita following their respective second-half introductions.
Touching on the fierce fight for minutes, Van Dijk told the Telegraph: “You have to (understand), otherwise you better leave.”
“We all want one thing, we all want to be successful, everyone, and we need everyone’s help.”
“It’s a long season with a lot of games, we need everyone and everyone knows that as well, and that’s a big strength for us. Everyone is doing their bit because the season is long.”
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Any tactical changes in personnel are likely to occur ahead of Van Dijk given his commanding start to the season.
The Dutchman produced another formidable display for the Reds at the weekend to frustrate Chelsea in their efforts to find some relief from the second-half pressure they found themselves under.
He again flourished beside Joe Gomez as the pair displayed additional signs of becoming one of the league’s most accomplished centre-back duos.
To slot back into the team and impose such an unflinching authority having barely trained all week due to a rib injury was a reminder of just how integral he has become to Klopp’s side.
The world’s most expensive defender is setting the tone for not only the required on-field aggression and work ethic, but also the necessary attitude for title contenders off the pitch.