Liverpool vs Leicester City - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp not hiding behind injuries

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will not allow injuries to be an excuse as he seeks to turn around their dip in form.

The German has half-a-dozen senior players unavailable as he heads into a period of nine matches in 31 days as centre-back Martin Skrtel was the latest to be added to the list with a hamstring problem which is likely to sideline him for six weeks.

Striker Daniel Sturridge was effectively ruled out of the festive programme after Klopp said his recovery from a hamstring injury sustained at Newcastle at the start of the month would probably take at least a further 10 days, pushing back his previously anticipated return.

Midfielder James Milner also misses the Boxing Day visit of Premier League leaders Leicester - although goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and defender Dejan Lovren will return - as Klopp attempts to arrest a sequence of four matches without a win, the worst run of his short time in charge.

"Daniel is still doing his little pre-season, his intensive training, and he will do this for seven, eight, nine or 10 days and then we will see what happens then," said the Reds boss.

"Martin is now missing and that is not perfect but it is not our place to complain about this.

"Martin is a tough guy and he usually recovers quick but we can't put pressure on him.

"We have to wait a few weeks and that is bad news for us."

It is also bad news defensively as Liverpool have shipped seven goals in their last three league matches, two apiece to Newcastle and West Brom and three at Watford - the first inside three minutes - last weekend.

Klopp is desperate for his side to become more resilient and but knows an ever-changing backline does not help.

"I would like to change centre-halves sometimes because of the big number of games but not because we have to only because we want to and that is what we couldn't do in the last few weeks because one of the boys was injured," he added.

"We lost Mama (Sakho) in a perfect situation, he came back (against Watford) and of course had problems because it was the worst game for all of us.

"Now Dejan has not a had a long break, he was in perfect shape before he left now we have to see what will happen.

"I would like to defend a 1-0 but not always strike back after a 0-1. We need to be concentrated from the first second."

Claudio Ranieri has told Leicester to keep their title charge running - as he compared them to Forrest Gump.

The boss wants the Foxes to maintain the pace at the top and likened their stamina to Tom Hanks' film character who ran across America.

The Foxes will be top on Christmas Day just 12 months after being bottom of the Barclays Premier League.

Ranieri replaced Nigel Pearson in the summer and feels the Foxes can last the marathon season.

He said: "I am very confident because Leicester, last season, saved themselves in the last two months and that means the stamina is fantastic. Why can't we continue to run, run, run? We are like Forrest Gump.

"The players know we are doing well but we haven't achieved anything.

"If I understand correctly, Leicester were never top of the league at this time so we are very happy. When the manager and the players make the fans happy then this is fantastic.

"I looked at the start of the season and thought these games were unbelievable - that over Christmas we had a very big rock.

"But now we are only concentrating on Liverpool, then when we've finished that match we will concentrate on the next.

"Liverpool have started very well with (Jurgen) Klopp, so whether they win, lose or draw they are a very hungry team and they fight."

Leicester will beat Ranieri's pre-season points target of 40 with a win at Anfield and the boss has already said he will sit down with his squad to re-evaluate their goals.

He added: "I am very proud for my players and for my fans. It is fantastic but we have to work some more.

"Now they are dreaming and I don't want to wake them up."