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Brendan Rodgers has backed Dejan Lovren to take a major step forward in his second season at Anfield and will continue to give the Croatian the chance to establish himself at the heart of the Reds defence.

The Liverpool manager has raised eyebrows with his early-season preference for Lovren over Mamadou Sakho but was rewarded with a clean sheet against Stoke last week.

An unchanged Reds backline is likely to be told to repeat the trick in the season opener at Anfield against Bournemouth on Monday night, with the former Southampton man given the chance to further establish his partnership with Martin Skrtel.

Rodgers said: “I thought that back four last week were exceptional.

“I thought he (Lovren) was very, very good last week. I think it’s confidence. I felt – and I said it last year – in his second year he’ll be a better player here.

“It’s such a huge move to come to a club like this and it’s only when they’re in they recognise the expectations that are here.

“It was about trying to find that balance early on in pre-season. We’ve got excellent players here in Sakho, Kolo, but centre-halves will tell you it’s about finding that comfort with a partner, that partnership.

“And I thought the two centre-halves were very good last week and Dejan in particular where he’s aggressive, good in the air, his reading of the game was good and his passing was simple but effective.

“I think he’s gained confidence in pre-season and hopefully that will be maintained.”

We need consistency in our back five

Liverpool turned down flat an approach from Roma to take Mamadou Sakho on loan this weekend, and the popular Frenchman is understood to still be viewed as an important player at Anfield going forward.

But it seems clear that Rodgers will give the club’s most expensive defensive signing ever the chance to justify his £20m price tag while he was also delighted with the impact of another recruit from St Mary’s, £12m man Nathaniel Clyne.

The Northern Irishman said: “I think it’s key in any team to have players who are going to play consistently for you, especially in a back five that’s vital.

“I thought the back four and goalkeeper were excellent last week at Stoke.

“I thought their organisation as a group, as a unit, you had Nathaniel Clyne coming in who’s a top defender anyway, very rarely gets beaten, super quick, his covering positions for a young defender is outstanding.

“There was one moment where the ball’s on the far side, he’s got a player outside him but he recognises and smells danger quickly, jumps inside and makes the header away.

"For a lot of teams that’s a goal against you so we’ve got players who want to defend first and foremost which is key to keeping clean sheets and from that you’ve got the platform to play.”