<
>

Liverpool's Simon Mignolet will decide on his future after World Cup

Simon Mignolet has told Belgian media he will wait until after this summer's FIFA World Cup before deciding whether to leave Liverpool.

First-choice in the first half of the season, Mignolet has been relegated to back-up goalkeeper to Loris Karius at Anfield in 2018, making just two first-team appearances since the turn of the year.

With Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois injured, Mignolet is expected to start in goal for Belgium when they face Saudi Arabia in Tuesday's friendly in Brussels.

It will be a rare 90 minutes on the pitch for Mignolet, who -- though his Liverpool contract runs until 2021 -- will give his future serious thought this summer, but only after his country's World Cup bid is over.

"I don't know what the future holds for me," Mignolet said. "I have three years left on my contract at Liverpool. Of course I want to play. The coach knows that, and I have talked about it with him. I will think about my future after the World Cup.

"I keep focused, just in case. An injury, a suspension, anything can happen and change the course of a season. I stay professional in order to be ready."

Mignolet started for Liverpool back in January, in the 2-1 win over Burnley, but found himself dropped two weeks later for the 4-3 defeat of Manchester City, and a single FA Cup appearance has been the 30-year-old's sole competitive action since.

"I was disappointed," Mignolet said, referring to when boss Jürgen Klopp told him Karius would be moving ahead of him in the goalkeeping hierarchy.

"In football, it's rare to get a clear answer, but sometimes you have to let things go. I know that becoming number one again won't be easy."

The 30-year-old added: "I mustn't let my head drop. I have always worked and I continue to do so. The boys in the squad even tell me to calm things down in terms of the amount of work I do, but it's in my nature."