James Pearce is arguably one of the most renowned reporters on all things Liverpool, due to his close links with the club through his role at the Echo.
And we’ve picked up on something he claimed in a column for the said paper earlier in the week.
Pearce claimed that, “As it stands Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho will be the first choice centre-back pairing.”
Skrtel is seemingly guaranteed a spot at the heart of defence, and it’s likely that expensive recruits from previous summers Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren are competing for a place alongside him.
In our last friendly verses Adelaide, Lovren partnered Skrtel as he did towards the end of the season due to Sakho’s injury, but Pearce reckons the Frenchman will be first choice when the term begins.
SEE MORE:
Martin Skrtel demands fourth successive victory to complete perfect tour
James Milner says you can’t compare Jordon Ibe to Liverpool traitor
But the fact Lovren again partners Skrtel in today’s friendly against a Malaysian XI indicates that Brendan Rodgers is actually trying to get the pair as much time together as possible before the season kicks off.
If Sakho was the preferred centre-back, why would Rodgers not be gelling him alongside Skrtel during pre-season?
Due to Lovren’s awful debut term, many supporters want Sakho ahead of him in next season’s pecking order.
It’ll be very interesting to see who Rodgers chooses to face Stoke and whether Pearce is correct, as that pair selected will likely get a run of games together to prove themselves at the start of the campaign.