Youngsters Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez are the alternatives Jurgen Klopp talked about last week, but neither received an unequivocal vote of confidence. Don't mistake Klopp's words as a lack of trust in his talented young England pair, though; it's most likely a motivational tool to both prevent complacency and keep them striving to get better.

Both still have plenty of room for improvement but if Klopp didn't trust them, they wouldn't even be in his squad. Certainly in the case of Alexander-Arnold, the manager's actions speak much louder than his words. If he didn't believe in the 18-year-old, he'd have signed another right-back to compete with Clyne. Yet he has never shown even the remotest interest in doing so, which points to a strong belief in the Academy graduate who made great strides last season.

The knock against Alexander-Arnold is that although he is ready offensively, he is still learning the defensive side of the game. "As long as he defends like a kid and attacks like a man, you only have half of this amazing talent" was how Klopp phrased it recently.

With Gomez, 20, it's the opposite. He's a central defender who can do a job at full-back, but don't expect to get too much production on the opposing third of the field. The other concern is that he's been out injured for so long that he's still finding his way back to full sharpness. He has even missed some time in this preseason with a minor problem.

Jon Flanagan is still a part of the squad for the moment but now appears to be well down the pecking order. Had Clyne been available these past couple of weeks, Flanagan probably wouldn't have even been included for the trip to Germany. Despite his greater experience, it would be a big surprise if Flanagan got the nod over Alexander-Arnold or Gomez against Watford.

Alexander-Arnold, who grew up just a stone's throw from the Reds' training ground in West Derby, looks to have put himself in pole position with his performances in preseason, not least during last Tuesday night's impressive 3-0 win against Bayern Munich when he confidently dealt with the experienced Franck Ribery.

He deserves the opportunity to stake his claim in Clyne's absence, but Klopp's concerns about his defensive inexperience are not without foundation and if the manager did decide to err on the side of caution at Watford, perhaps we see James Milner switched to right-back. Having played the whole of last season at left-back, Milner should have no trouble at all swapping flanks and might actually be more effective on his natural side of the field. Milner has done an admirable job on the left and as things stand he's still the first choice left-back unless Andrew Robertson or, whisper it, Alberto Moreno, does enough over the next week to convince Klopp they can be trusted to start the season.

The often criticised Moreno has been rumoured to be on his way all summer, but with the new season almost upon us, he's still somehow hanging in there and has featured extensively in preseason. He, too, had a fine game against Bayern and Klopp hinted afterwards that he might still have a future with the club if he can maintain that level of performance. The Spaniard deserves praise for how he played in Munich, but one swallow does not a summer make and his days at Anfield are almost certainly numbered.

If Robertson can impress over the next week or so, however, Klopp would at least have the option of starting him at Watford and switching Milner to the right, but it would be extremely harsh on Alexander-Arnold if he didn't get first crack at it.

He needs experience and he has to get better defensively, but there's nothing quite like learning on the job and his preseason form has been such that he'd have a legitimate claim on the shirt even if Clyne had been fit.

Klopp has been a strong advocate of wanting to bring young players into his team and this is a good chance to reward his most talented youngster with senior football. Alexander-Arnold came through a baptism of fire when he made his Premier League debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford last season, so he's unlikely to be fazed by a trip to Watford.

There is risk in picking him of course, but then there's risk in all of the options available to Klopp right now. The potential reward with the 18-year-old far outweighs that of any of the alternatives though, and that's why he should be starting on opening day.