LONDON • Liverpool are considering allowing Mamadou Sakho to go out on loan in the belief that regular first-team football elsewhere could help him to salvage his career at Anfield.

After a troubled period during which Sakho was charged and cleared of doping offences and then sent home from his club's pre-season tour to the United States for disciplinary reasons, the move could help the France defender to regain peak form and fitness.

The centre-back remains highly rated by Jurgen Klopp, who has been pleased with the 26-year-old's reaction since urging him to show more professionalism after he missed a training session and a team meal in the United States.

A heel injury has further hampered any attempts to re-establish himself in Klopp's early-season thinking. Sakho has not played a competitive game since April, when Uefa launched an anti-doping investigation following a failed drugs test.

Roma have previously shown an interest in signing him on loan, while Bayer Leverkusen also failed in an attempt to sign him on a permanent basis two years ago.

Klopp started the season with Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan in central defence and the Liverpool manager feels that he would be able to cope without Sakho. With Joel Matip and Lucas Leiva available after recovering from injuries and Joe Gomez approaching fitness, the German feels he has sufficient options to send Sakho out on loan to rebuild his fitness.

The Daily Mail reported yesterday that Sunderland turned down the opportunity to take Sakho on loan.

Manager David Moyes has been looking at options for his defence after Younes Kaboul was sold to Watford and John O'Shea was injured. But he reportedly believes Papy Djilobodji covers the left of central defence well and is looking for a different type of player.

THE TIMES, LONDON, THE GUARDIAN