Defender Mamadou Sakho may have to wait for his Reds debut after Martin Skrtel’s fine performance against Manchester United and the manager welcomes competition for places

Defender Mamadou Sakho may have to wait for his Liverpool debut as manager Brendan Rodgers welcomes competition for places.

The Reds are looking to make it four wins in four Premier League games this season after Martin Skrtel came in from the cold to put in a fine performance in their 1-0 win over Manchester United before the international break.

The Slovakian could line up alongside Daniel Agger away to Swansea City on Monday and Rodgers says that it is “a nice problem to have” with his deadline-day signing from Paris Saint-Germain likely to start on the bench.

“I’d rather this than have a lack of talent to choose from. It just keeps everyone on their toes,” the Liverpool boss told the media.

“I want to protect the present and the future of the club. Centre-halves are so hard to find now. You look at some teams, they’ve still got ageing centre-halves because it’s very difficult to get a really good one.

“Sakho is 23. He’s an experienced player with full international caps [for France and] looks an absolute monster in training. He’s one who’s ready for now. That’s what we want.

“It’s not so much a problem [finding a place for Sakho]. If you’re winning games, it’s very simple.

“The system is king. We will never be reliant on one player. The whole make-up of this is about the team. We can take one out, put one in and still be strong.”

Rodgers would happily settle for another 1-0 win – the scoreline by which Liverpool have won every league game this season – when they take on Michael Laudrup’s talented team.

“I think that’s a part of the growth of the team,” he argued. “You look at the win against Stoke. We were outstanding in our football but we had to dig in.

“It’s never easy at 1-0, no matter how dominant you are. These are characteristics we’re working on every day.”

The Three Lions midfielder has indicated he will retire from international football after Brazil 2014 but the 66-year-old feels his captain’s new role will allow him to carry on

Roy Hodgson believes Steven Gerrard can carry on playing for England after next summer’s World Cup.

The Liverpool midfielder has previously suggested he will retire after Brazil 2014, having already earned 105 caps since his international debut in 2000.

However, Hodgson is refusing to plan for the 33-year-old’s international departure just yet and hopes his captain will still be available after next summer.

“It is easy for players to talk about retiring in a year’s time,” Hodgson said.

“I have fallen into that trap myself on several occasions. When the time rolls around you realise you don’t actually want it.

“Let’s wait and see with Steven. I know he gives these interviews and people write these things but I just bat them off.

“The most important thing is for England to be at the World Cup. Then I am rather hoping Gerrard, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard will still be available.

“If afterwards, for some reason, they aren’t, we will re-assess.”

Hodgson also feels that Gerrard, who has two years left on his Liverpool contract, is benefiting from playing in a deeper role, after his impressive display during the midweek World Cup qualifying draw against Ukraine.

He added: “I have always questioned Steve as an ­out-and-out ­attacking ­midfield player.

“Steve has such energy, he really is a box-to-box player and if you take him away from the build-up from the back, then you are not ­getting the best out of him.”

The Reds boss met with the 31-year-old to discuss that he wanted to give him some competition by signing a new goalkeeper, before Simon Mignolet’s £9 million move to Anfield

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed he spoke to Pepe Reina about his plans to sign another goalkeeper this summer.

The Spaniard made 285 appearances during nine seasons as the club’s first choice shot-stopper, before linking up with former boss Rafa Benitez on a season-long loan at Napoli.

And after Reina backtracked on claims that he was forced out of the club, Rodgers has revealed he met with the 31-year-old to explain he planned to give him some competition in goal.

“It wasn’t anything underhand,” Rodgers told the Telegraph. “It was looking into his eye and telling him he was a very good keeper but in order to be the best he can be and for us to be the best, I need to bring in another one who would be equal number one.

“He accepted that at the time, that was something he felt was needed also.

“Obviously here at the club we then have to consider the wages, as there is a financial implication too. So it was deemed through both parties that it was best for him to move on.

“As I said, I was comfortable enough to let it happen. He wanted to go and play, you have to consider that, it is World Cup year as well. He wanted to be a number one somewhere.

“We did everything we could to support him to be the best he could be. There was no rush for me to move Pepe out but I felt he needed competition so I had to bring in someone.”

Rodgers has already been impressed by new No.1 choice Simon Mignolet, who was signed for £9 million from Sunderland during the summer transfer window.

“I’d seen him over the last few years, he’s adapted to the Premier League. He is a brilliant shot-stopper,” the Reds boss added.

“John Achterberg, our Dutch goalkeeping coach, has been monitoring him for years.

“You see his presence, he is good with his feet, that is important, it is one of the big things I look for in my goalkeeper.”