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Jurgen Klopp wasn’t about to make himself a hostage to fortune.

Asked whether Liverpool had finally got a settled centre-back partnership in Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren, the manager thought carefully before tiptoeing around the subject.

Klopp said: “Why should I now say that’s the pair for the whole season? What if next week one player is injured and then I’d have to say to another player: ‘sorry if you read the newspaper’.

“We have to use the quality of the squad and work as well as possible. They need to perform - that’s the pressure that all the players have. It’s not about being a nice guy, it’s about getting results for Liverpool.”

His point was well made but there’s no escaping the fact that Matip and Lovren are the first-choice defensive combination for Klopp this season. The early signs in their two matches together prior to the international break were highly promising.

Barring injury or an alarming dip in form, they will be given the opportunity to prove they can give Liverpool something which has been sadly lacking since Jamie Carragher retired three years ago.

The stats tell the story. At the end of the 2012/13 campaign when Carragher hung up his boots the Reds had conceded 43 league goals. In the three seasons since that tally climbed to 50, 48 and then 50 again last term.

Of course it’s too simplistic to point the finger just at the centre-backs. But there’s no doubt that the constant chopping and changing in that department has contributed to those frailties.

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Martin Skrtel, Kolo Toure, Mamadou Sakho and Lovren all played together at different times but none of those partnerships ever truly convinced. The reality is that Liverpool have been hampered by the absence of a real defensive leader.

Lovren was hailed as Carragher’s successor by Brendan Rodgers two years ago but the £20million man initially couldn’t live up to that lofty billing. He was rash and endured a baptism of fire - spreading panic rather than calm.

But the Croatia international has now got his feet under the table. That shirt doesn’t weigh so heavily on those broad shoulders.

Lovren’s performance at White Hart Lane before the international break was reassuringly combative. He refused to be bullied and picked the right battles to win.

Importantly, there also appeared to be a decent understanding with Matip, who starred on his Premier League debut.

The former Schalke defender won his aerial battles and oozed composure as he used the ball intelligently.

Signing him on a free transfer meant that little hype surrounded his arrival but Matip was widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the Bundesliga. He’s no rookie with nearly 200 league appearances under his belt.

The foot problem which dogged him in pre-season meant he sat out the opening two games but now he’s fully fit and ready to kick on.

The hope is that Matip will follow in the footsteps of another towering centre-back who joined Liverpool for next to nothing 17 years ago and went on to secure legendary status during a decade of service.

Sami Hyypia, who was a dependable presence for both Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez, paid a visit to Melwood this week and is due to attend Saturday’s clash with Leicester City at Anfield.

The double act of Hyypia and Carragher provided the base for Liverpool’s march to Champions League glory in 2005 and the following season the Reds leaked just 25 league goals.

But over the past decade the only other centre-back combination the Reds have had which fully convinced involved Carragher and Daniel Agger. There’s been no stability and a porous backline has cost Liverpool silverware.

Klopp believes he has finally found the solution to a long-standing problem.

Now Lovren and Matip must prove they can succeed where others have failed.