Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has responded to Jose Mourinho’s comments that “trophies matter” ahead of his team’s meeting with Manchester United on Sunday.

Speaking on Friday, Mourinho, told reporters: “I think trophies matter, it matters, especially when you have the potential to fight for trophies and especially when you clearly say the objective is to win the trophy.”

Klopp’s Liverpool have earned widespread acclaim but he is yet to win a trophy on Merseyside – losing in the finals of the League Cup, Europa League and Champions League.

Klopp responded by saying success could be measured in a number of ways – not just by trophies.

He said: “That [trophies] might be what people remember but what I have to do is make the best of the things the club is offering me, that is what I believe in.”

Klopp went on to defend his record at the club, saying:

” If people say the Champions League campaign last season was not a success because we didn’t win the final then I cannot change that. Was it the most successful? No, but the ride was brilliant. I enjoyed it a lot.”

“Going to the final was fantastic but in life – in all departments of life, including your job – if only the best counts and effort doesn’t count then life is s**t. If I’m not as smart as Einstein should I not try even a little bit because I will never be him? I love the challenge. Make the best of it. That is how I learn life and a little bit in football. In the end other people have to judge that.”

Liverpool edged above Manchester City to claim the Premier League top-spot last week after a 4-0 victory at Bournemouth, while City dropped points to Chelsea.

Meanwhile Manchester United beat Fulham to climb to sixth place, but remain 16 points behind the top of the table.

The exchange comes as Manchester United suffered a 2-1 defeat by Valencia in the Champions League on Wednesday.

“In Valencia, only [David] De Gea and [Nemanja] Matic were available to play and didn’t travel,” Jose says. “Apart from that, the players that didn’t travel were not fit to play.”

Despite having already secured a place in the last-16 of the tournament, Mourinho hit out at his players once again following the defeat, stating that poor quality from his starting XI had forced him to make substitutions he “didn’t want to make.”

Mourinho confirmed on Friday that David de Gea and Nemanja Matic, who were rested for the trip to Valencia, are available to play on Sunday. A question mark remains over Diogo Dalot, Matteo Darmian, Victor Lindelof, Anthony Martial, Alexis Sanchez, Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling, all of whom also missed the fixture.

For Liverpool, Klopp confirmed on Friday that Joel Matip is ruled out having suffered a fractured collarbone during Liverpool’s Champions League win over Napoli during the week. Alexander-Arnold is also a doubt.