Jurgen Klopp insists he is not wasting time thinking about catching Manchester City as he has ‘plenty of problems’ to solve at Liverpool first.

Klopp’s side are riding high at the moment and host Norwich on Saturday afternoon aiming to secure their eighth consecutive win in all competitions but they go into this latest round of fixtures nine points behind the reigning champions.

That gap could potentially be reduced to six if Liverpool win their game in hand against Leeds on Wednesday but while working out the mathematics of a title race is driving fans to distraction, Klopp has stressed his mind is occupied with all manner of problems.

The principle one involves Diogo Jota, who is facing a battle to be ready for the League Cup final after damaging ligaments in his ankle against Inter Milan. Liverpool’s form might be good but it has not stopped their manager from worrying.

‘There is actually a lot to fix,’ said Klopp. ‘Of all the problems I have the smallest one is what you said about City. There is no day in the week, no minute actually, when I think about that. We have nothing to do with that, we only have to win our games and see if we come closer or not.

‘Outside of that, we fight for a Champions League spot. For that, we need to win games. If we want to go further in cup competitions or win the cup then you have to win games. It is the same solution: you solve all your problems with winning football games and that is the only thing we talk about.’

Klopp may unleash new signing Luis Diaz in Jota’s absence and he has added a different dynamic to Liverpool’s attack but the German stressed there is more to his team than just an ability to pass the ball nicely and entertain.. Without resilience, he says, there would have been no win in Milan.

‘It is not the past when people called Real Madrid the “White Ballet”; we are not that, of course,’ said Klopp.

‘It is what you make of the things you have available. You have to fight and not think about how good we could be.. We are not the Harlem Globetrotters. There are a lot of really good teams and squads out there we have to battle with.’