Klopp: Lovren "Has Done a Really Good Job"

Few players on Liverpool's current squad — who regularly make the team sheet, that is — garner such fan fury as Dejan Lovren. He hasn't yet been consistently successful in his season and a bit at Liverpool, and his return to the playing field against Crystal Palace two weeks ago after Mamadou Sakho went off with injury prompted much moaning rather than excitement.

Part of that was surely in part due to Liverpool fans being disappointed to lose Sakho so soon after he'd once again become a regular fixture beside Martin Škrtel since earning his starting position back in late September against Norwich City. Lovren spoke earlier this week about being ready to step into Sakho's sizable shoes, and now his manager is also backing him to put in a fine performance on Saturday against Manchester City.

"With Dejan, there will be absolutely no problem," Klopp confirmed. "These two guys (Skrtel and Lovren) are healthy and everything is good. Dejan has done a really good job since I’ve come in here.

"I saw his first game for Liverpool - it was against Dortmund when we lost by four. He was brilliant on this day. I’d heard not the best things about him since but during my time here he’s looked strong and everything is okay. As long as these two guys are feeling good we don’t have a big problem."

Everything is cool, then. Lovren can probably count himself lucky that Klopp witnessed his play in person in what was one of his top performances in Red so far, and that he's obviously managed to channel something of that performance during training since Klopp's arrival. Liverpool will need Lovren to be at the top of his game on Saturday, and Klopp's confidence should go a long way to helping pull that kind of performance out of him.