Iraola on Mac Allister, Barcola being 'ready for more minutes' and Atletico test

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid at Anfield (kick-off 20:00 BST). Here are the key lines from his news conference: Iraola said he had not spoken with Alexis Mac Allister about renewing his contract and backed the midfielder's claim the club were "not in a position to renew". The Spaniard added that he hopes to help Mac Allister develop as a player and that "if all goes well, everything will be resolved". He said his first Champions League night at Anfield will be "special" and one of the things people mentioned when he took the job. The departure of sporting director Richard Hughes "wasn't a surprise" for Iraola, who wished him "all the best". On Milos Kerkez and his performances, Iraola said: "He still has big potential. He has a good amount of experience in the Premier League and with the international team. I trust him. He has a lot to improve, like all the players, otherwise there is no bigger ceiling. I am ready to try to help him become a better player." Against Atletico Madrid, Iraola wants his side to be "proactive, start well and press our opponents early in the game". He knows the La Liga side "pretty well" and said it will be a "big test". He said the squad "needed" the win against Ipswich to get their season up and running. Bradley Barcola is "ready for more minutes" and has been training "normally" with the rest of the squad. A busy September will be a "challenge", but Iraola does not believe picking a squad for the Atletico Madrid game will be the "most difficult scenario" of the season. He does not want his players to "think we need to save energy", saying he would prefer them to run for 55 minutes and be "dead", playing with high intensity. Listen to full match commentary of Liverpool v Atletico Madrid on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds on Wednesday Got a question about Liverpool? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts [BBC]