'Settled Sakho has a chance to shine now'
Brendan Rodgers wants Mamadou Sakho to maintain the upward trajectory he began upon returning to the Liverpool defence last month.
The powerful Frenchman featured for the first time since September when he was introduced as a substitute during the 3-1 Capital One Cup win at Bournemouth.
Dejan Lovren's injury misfortune presented Sakho with an opportunity to grasp a place in the manager's defensive trio, which he has taken gratefully.
He has been selected from the start in each of the past five fixtures and Rodgers has called on the recruit from Paris Saint-Germain to continue in that manner.
"Mamadou worked hard during his time out of the side," the Northern Irishman told the Liverpool Echo ahead of today's meeting with Sunderland.
"Obviously he has come back in and played five games in a short period of time. He has taken his opportunity and has settled back in very quickly.
"He's still relatively young in centre-back terms. Mamadou wasn't in the team at PSG when he came here. That's the reality of it.
"Before they spent a lot of money in the transfer market to bring in players, he was playing there. But at that time he came here he wasn't playing and wasn't getting experience.
"What he has been given here is an opportunity. Hopefully now he can really devote his time to the profession and make sure he's fully fit to play games."