Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has insisted that his side will adapt to playing European football next season should they qualify for the Champions League.
The Reds head into Sunday's final-day showdown with Middlesbrough at Anfield knowing that victory will guarantee them a top-four finish for just the second time in eight years.
Mignolet concedes that Liverpool will not be as fresh if they are also competing in UEFA's showpiece competition, but does not believe his side should therefore be automatically ruled out of the Premier League title race.
"The Premier League is obviously a tough league and you need the energy to play week in, week out, but I think we have the squad to do that, so it doesn't mean that if you're in the Champions League you can't fight for the Premier League title," he told Sky Sports News. "Those two things can be combined.
"It's clear that it helps if you don't play in Europe, and you can focus yourself week in, week out, on the Premier League, freshen players up and play with the same squad every week. If you see how Leicester played last year, they played nearly every game with the same team. I think Chelsea are one of the sides with the least changes.
"These things obviously help, it's a demanding league, and everyone wants to play in it. But it is important because I think Liverpool's history shows they are fighting in the top of the Premier League and in Europe. We've got the chance of getting in the Champions League, and everybody is very hungry for this in the dressing room. Everybody wants to fight at the top stage."
Mignolet has wrested back his number-one spot this season after being dropped in favour of Loris Karius at one stage, featuring 27 times so far in the league.
Daniel Lewis
