Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has declared that he is ready to step up in Mamadou Sakho’s absence, ahead of his side’s challenging Premier League fixture with Manchester City on Saturday.
New Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp preferred to partner Sakho, who dislodged Lovren from the starting line-up earlier in the campaign, with Martin Skrtel at the heart of the Reds defence in league fixtures since taking charge of the club in October.
But the French international could face a lengthy period on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury during Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace just before the international break.
And Lovren, who admitted that Sakho was in good form before the injury setback, explained that he is prepared and eager to feature in the Merseyside giants’ upcoming games.
“Mama [Sakho] had a really good couple of games and a good start to the season. We played in Rubin Kazan together and were feeling really good”, he told the club’s official site.
relatedNewsStory
“But you never know in football – injuries can happen today or tomorrow. So you need to be prepared. I was working hard all the time so I’m ready and looking forward to playing.”
Lovren is the most expensive defender in Liverpool’s history as the Reds had to cough up £20m to Southampton for his services last summer.
