Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp insists Simon Mignolet was only rested against Arsenal and will return to the starting line-up in their next game after the international break.

The Reds' shot-stopper dropped out of the squad entirely with Loris Karius making his first start of the season and Danny Ward taking up a place on the substitutes' bench.

The bombshell of Mignolet's shock demotion came despite the Belgium international being declared fully fit and free of injury or illness.

But Klopp has since revealed that Karius' inclusion was in order to allow Mignolet a rest. The German kept a clean sheet in his first senior appearance since January as Liverpool won 4-0.

Mignolet will be reinstated to the starting eleven when Liverpool travel to the Etihad Stadium to face Manchester City in their next league outing on September 9.

Klopp: I just wanted to give Mignolet a rest

"Intensity for a goalkeeper is different," he explained in response to questions about Mignolet's relegation. "It's not a physical intensity, it's a mental intensity."

He declared that Liverpool had "created a situation" before the season in which they wanted to have "three really strong goalkeepers" throughout the campaign, adding: "That's our situation now."

The German told reporters: "That means you cannot deal with it like you do when you have a clear No.3, a clear No.2. Yes, Simon is a clear No.1, but the others are not clear No.2s and No.3s, they are really strong goalkeepers."

Klopp - quashing rumours over Mignolet's future - insisted that the 'keeper has performed "outstandingly good" so far this season and that "he won the race in pre-season" to be named first-choice.

"He's a machine, he's always there, he's solid, really, really reliable," Klopp praised the No.22. He said that given the "little problems with injuries and stuff like this" to Karius and Ward, Mignolet "won the race" to start the club's more important fixtures this term.

Yet with Mignolet having been dropped for Liverpool's biggest league game of the season yet, Klopp revealed: "I told Si yesterday and it was not that he gave me a hug and said 'thank you, boss, that's exactly what I thought we should do', but I wanted to do it and I want to give him this rest and I want to have Loris in this game in goal."

Despite his absence against Arsenal, Klopp revealed that Mignolet - after the international break - will "100 per-cent" start against City provided that "nothing happens" before then.

Karius "did a good job" against Gunners

The manager explained that his compatriot Karius "had a lot of good things" in his performance against the North London outfit and that he "played really cool football."

He joked that Karius was "sometimes a little bit too cool and waited a little bit too long" in possession, stating that because of the stadium's response that they "all need to learn and get used to playing football in close situations."

Klopp felt the home crowd were "all a little bit surprised" but declared that the players "should not be [surprised] because of orientation", insisting that they "need to play in close spaces as a goalkeeper and as an outfield player."

The Reds boss continued: "He [Karius] did a good job today, I’m happy about this."

The 24-year-old - signed from Mainz last summer - is expected to play in Liverpool's cup competitions this season, potentially including even their Champions League campaign.

Ward, who was linked with another loan move this term after earning promotion to the top-flight with Huddersfield Town last season, will then serve as a more-than-capable back-up to both.