Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed there is no timescale on under-fire goalkeeper Loris Karius' return to the starting lineup.
Simon Mignolet started in goal for Liverpool during the 3-0 win over Middlesbrough on Wednesday night after Karius had made high-profile errors in recent matches against Bournemouth and West Ham United.
In the build up to the game, Klopp hit out at Gary and Phil Neville for their critical comments about the goalkeeper in Monday's news conference.
Klopp insists he was protecting his young shot-stopper by taking him out of the firing line and says he is part of the club's plans in the future.
"The situation is LFC is a long-term project," Klopp told a news conference afterwards. "We really want to improve the club.
"We know we have to be successful as soon as possible, but on the other hand we all feel comfortable in the situation with each other -- the goalkeepers included.
"I know how strong Loris Karius is, but unfortunately he couldn't show it in the last one, two, three games -- I'm not sure, that's not too important.
"I am absolutely not interested in public pressure, but I am interested in the boy and there is no reason to push him through this situation. In the end, everything is one little mistake -- which can happen to each goalkeeper in the world.
"So after one little mistake, should I say 'OK, that's it, final judgement -- I don't want to see him anymore?' There's absolutely no reason, especially when you have a goalkeeper like Simon Mignolet in training, on the bench, in character...a great footballer, a really, really good goalkeeper.
"He played really well at the beginning of the season, so there is no reason [to] push Loris through, that's why we made this change quite early and that's all, nothing else. We are fine and good.
"Now it is Simon's chance. I am really happy with our goalkeeper situation. We have these two really, really good goalkeepers; a very experienced Alex Manninger, who is a wonderful person; three outstanding really young goalkeepers.
"The goalkeeping situation at Liverpool is really good so that's why I said there is no reason to push one through, we want to develop the players.
"We are fine with our boys. Loris is still very young, he is a big, big goalkeeping talent and everything will be good in the end but there is no timeframe for when he will be back."
Meanwhile, Liverpool returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion at the Riverside Stadium that saw them move up to second in the Premier League.
Adam Lallana opened the scoring with a powerful header in the 29th minute before Divock Origi scored his fifth goal in as many matches on the hour mark.
Lallana then grabbed his second of the evening to secure a well-deserved victory that puts the Reds six points behind leaders Chelsea.
"[Am I] thrilled? Yes, with the result for sure -- and the performance was, of course, really good," Klopp added.
"The nice thing is when you even then you have something to improve in a good game -- and we had things to do better in the second half. You could really see how the boys took the information and did it.
"We could have finished more often; I don't think we should have scored more often, 3-0 is the result, a deserved result I would say, but we could have finished more often. It was a really good performance. I'm happy."
Boro boss Aitor Karanka immediately switched his sights to Saturday's crucial relegation clash against Swansea after conceding Liverpool were a class apart.
Karanka, whose side earned draws against Arsenal and Manchester City, said: "We've played the top of the league teams this season and we have competed against every one of them but [against Liverpool] it was impossible.
"Liverpool were much better than us, in their intensity, in everything. When they were winning 2-0 they kept the same intensity, they wanted every ball and they moved the ball at amazing speed.
"It is not a coincidence that they are where they are in the table and they are having a good season and they are candidates to win this league.
"But we just have to keep going. We can't forget the good season we are having so far. We have to recover as soon as possible because we have an important game on Saturday."