Jurgen Klopp says he's unsure if Liverpool will bring in more players this summer, but has admitted that those still on the squad after Aug. 31 will have a "big influence" on the Reds' upcoming season.
Liverpool have brought in a number of reinforcements during the summer window, including the likes of Joel Matip, Sadio Mane, Loris Karius and most recently Georginio Wijnaldum.
The former Borussia Dortmund boss was forced to play 34 different players in the Premier League last season, but a lack of European football could see that number significantly reduced in 2016-17.
Asked if he could foresee signings still this summer, Klopp was non-committal.
"If I had to guess I would say rather no, but I don't know actually because it's a long time until the 31st of August and I have no idea," Klopp said in an exclusive interview with ESPN FC. "[The] 31st of August we have a few friendlies of course and few test games and then we have, one, two, maybe three -- I'm not sure -- Premier League games.
"So we will see. We will see how the players react on my decisions again because we will have more players than 11 for sure, and then you have to accept a few decisions and you have to take it as an opportunity.
He continued: "To develop a team never ends so, you have only result, result, result, but then you will have to again decide. That's how it is. So we will see. I don't think we'll have a lot. But of course everyone knows about it maybe on the outgoing side will happen a little bit ... yeah I have no idea in the moment."
However Klopp stated that the players who are kept on past Aug. 31 will be counted on this season.
"What I can promise," he said, "if we win something at the end of the season, everybody who's [here] after 31st of August in this squad will have a big influence on it. If we win something and we will have a big picture and everybody will be on it.
"And if you are then smart enough to think 'yes I was a big [part], I played a big role in it' -- whatever a big role is, it's a decisive goal in the last minute with three matches, or it's a, I made 20 matches, 10 of them not so good but 10 were brilliant -- whatever. If you win something, then it's because of the group you have been [in]."
In making his squad decisions, the 49-year-old German revealed he can't take feelings from supporters, players or even best friends into account.
"No of course not," Klopp said. "I'm afraid of displeasing my family or whatever but not the other people because ... they're interested in what we're doing but of course they are not in the situation. So in the situation I have to make the decision that's no problem.
"When I was a very young manager, I had to tell my best friend -- we played together of course two years before -- and I had to tell him that I don't [want to] extend his contract. So you can imagine it's not ... the best thing to do in your life.
"So, he came into my office, 'I have good news and bad news so what do we wanna hear first?' He said bad news. I said 'okay we don't extend your contract.' He said, 'there's good news?' 'Yes, you can be the manager of our youth team.' And he said 'no I want to go, I want to still play' and left the room.
"You would [want to] go, 'come on it's only a joke, come in, come in of course you can play still here.' That's not how it is, you have to make decisions. That's what I said: When you're convinced about a decision you have to make it, and the truth is sometimes not what people want to hear.
"But in my job, it's just what I have to say and most of the time. ... So, yeah again part of the deal. You cannot change it, if you always live like this and try to avoid situations where it's really hard, then you can never be yourself."
Klopp continued: "Our day has only 24 hours. It's quite busy so be yourself and do what you think is right. Take advice from your team around of course, l like this. I'm how you say far away from being [a] genius so I need advice from other people but the decision at the end, it's always alone. You have to decide alone."