KRC Genk vs Liverpool: Reds boss Jurgen Klopp warns Belgian champions 'can be annoying' ahead of Group E clash

Liverpool travel to Belgium to take on KRC Genk in their third match in Group E of the UEFA Champions League with their boss Jurgen Klopp warning the side could prove to be a potential banana skin for his in-form team.

The Reds, whose only defeat this season has come in the Champions League, will be mindful of the need to avoid a second loss as they look to secure safe passage to the knockout stages of the competition they won last season.

Their morale was boosted with the return to the squad of talismanic striker Mo Salah, with boss Klopp saying the prospect of the Egyptian striker playing a part in the match "looks promising."

Salah's return helps balance the books for the Reds, with Joel Matip and Trent Alexander-Arnold both missing the trip to Belgium through injury and illness respectively.

"We thought (Matip's injury) would be a two-week thing before Man United," Klopp added.

"It's not a serious thing but it's serious enough for him not to play."

Genk currently sit at the bottom of Group E with just a solitary point, but will enjoy raucous support on home soil for the visit of the reigning Champions League winners.

And Klopp said that his team needs to be on their guard, and on their game, to ensure no further slip-ups in their group stage campaign.

"We don't want to make Genk bigger than they are but they are at home and they can be annoying," Klopp said.

"They're a good team, we have to be here with the right mindset.

"They are organized and brave in their positioning. They don't play with the pressing line too much but go for second balls, have speed, good midfielders and very active full-backs."

Klopp said he was also proud of his players after seeing seven of his charges names on the 30-man shortlist for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.

"I'm proud of my boys in general, not just because seven of them have been nominated. I like them a lot and I'm happy when they win things," he said.

"If it's a sign that we are now a destination for players, I don't know. We want to work together for the next couple of years and we'll see what happens."