by Dave Usher for ESPN
Going into the season, Brendan Rodgers' selection of Dejan Lovren ahead of Mamadou Sakho in defence came under a lot of scrutiny from supporters and media alike.
So far, though, Liverpool's back four has delivered successive clean sheets as the Reds have taken maximum points, and the much-maligned Lovren has played his part with two solid performances. He has justified his manager's faith so far and, therefore, Sakho has no real cause for complaint.
The decision by Rodgers to opt for Kolo Toure on the substitutes' bench ahead of the popular French defender, however, is a different matter entirely. Sakho has every right to feel aggrieved and it must at least be considered that the manager wants to move him on.
When Sakho was omitted from the 18-man squad at Stoke on the opening weekend, some attributed it to him having missed a few days of training in the week prior due to the birth of his daughter. My question is, would Rodgers have overlooked Jordan Henderson, Martin Skrtel or James Milner for that reason?
Sakho wasn't involved because Rodgers did not select him, pure and simple. Further proof of him being out of favour came when he was snubbed again for Monday night's 1-0 win over Bournemouth at Anfield. Why would you not select Sakho on the bench at the very least, unless you are looking to offload him?
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