Jurgen Klopp rested a number of key players for Saturday's Merseyside derby ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Manchester City.

Everton and Liverpool's second string team played out a dull 0-0 draw at Goodison Park and there weren't many particularly impressive individual performances.

Incredibly, the Blues have now failed to beat their Merseyside rivals in their last 17 meetings.

"I have to be happy and take the result - no problem with that," said Klopp after the 0-0 draw. "I think it is a fair result."

"We were not here to play a wild derby today, it would not have made sense, so I think it was quite difficult for Everton to get the game they wanted with challenges and stuff like that."

Liverpool will be glad to have not picked up any fresh injuries ahead of their quarter-final second leg against Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola's side - who were initially considered favourites - were beaten 3-0 at Anfield in the first leg.

Jamie Redknapp singles out Liverpool star for praise

The former Liverpool midfielder was in the Sky Sports studio and was immensely impressed with one player after the 0-0 draw at Goodison Park.

“He [Van Dijk] is a different class and he makes Liverpool’s back four really solid,” said Redknapp on Sky Sports. "He's changed their whole defensive mindset."

"Simon Mignolet must be thinking 'I would love to have Virgil van Dijk in front of me'. He has made such a difference to this Liverpool defence.”

Liverpool legend Ian Rush certainly agrees with Redknapp's sentiments about Van Dijk.

"Van Dijk has made a big difference. He's been amazing," Rush told the London Evening Standard.

"It's no coincidence that since he's come back, we've had a few clean sheets. And with [Loris] Karius now as the number one goalkeeper, Van Dijk has made an amazing impression.

"He organises the defence, I think we lacked that before. That has made us a better team."

Signed for £75m from Southampton in January, Van Dijk has looked worth every penny in the heart of Liverpool's defence.

The Reds have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven games in all competitions.

“His body language is brilliant, to be honest. He looks like a leader, like a warrior, already like a Liverpool player,” Klopp told Liverpool's official website recently.

“We bought him not because he is a good lad, but because he is a good footballer. But being a good lad helps a lot to settle in the team immediately and that’s what he did.”