Liverpool's Dejan Lovren ready to step up in Mamadou Sakho's absence

Dejan Lovren has claimed that he is ready to marshall Liverpool's defence in the absence of Mamadou Sakho.

Manager Jurgen Klopp is expected to be without Sakho for six to eight weeks after the Frenchman suffered a knee ligament injury in a 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on November 8.

Lovren, who has struggled to hold down a first-team place since joining the club from Southampton in 2014, is expected to play alongside Martin Skrtel in Saturday's Premier League match against Manchester City.

"Mama had a really good couple of games and a good start to the season," Lovren told the club's official website. "We played in Rubin Kazan together and were feeling really good.

"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."

The Reds are currently 10th in the league table.