KENNY DALGLISH admits keeping Liverpool’s bulging squad happy could prove one of his biggest managerial challenges this season.

The Anfield outfit have embarked on a major summer recruitment drive with more than £50million spent on signing Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Jose Enrique and Alexander Doni.

However, Liverpool have struggled to move on many senior players during the transfer window, with only Nabil El Zhar, Daniel Ayala, Paul Konchesky and Milan Jovanovic having departed.

The substantial playing staff was illustrated when Joe Cole, Maxi Rodriguez and Alberto Aquilani didn’t even make the bench for last Saturday’s Premier League opener at home to Sunderland.

Dirk Kuyt, an ever-present in recent seasons, was only a substitute, and a lack of European football means there will be significantly less first-team opportunities for fringe players this season.

And while insistent everyone will have a part to play, Dalglish admits ensuring morale stays high among the fringe players is a priority.

“It is a squad, not a team,” says the Liverpool manager, whose team visit Arsenal in today’s early Premier League kick-off. “We are a squad and the team will change throughout the season.

“People will play and people won’t play. You won’t get any success with 11 people. You’ll have success when you have got about 20 to pick from. Everyone will play a part.

“The most difficult thing I found in management first time around was the players who were not playing. There were only one or two subs in those days and you had to keep them happy.