Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admits he plans to manage Virgil van Dijk through the season after victory over Burnley.
Van Dijk helped repel the threat of physical Clarets strikers Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes as Liverpool kept a clean sheet in his first game at Liverpool's home for 317 days following a cruciate injury.
"It's cool having Virgil back," said Klopp. "There were times when he was on the edge because of the intensity of the game. It was a proper test with the strikers always in your body.
"We now have six centre-halves with Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips and we needed that.
"They will all play because the first four (Liverpool have also signed Ibrahima Konate) we have to mix it up.
"After a long injury you should not play three games a week, all that stuff. But I didn't have a chance to change for Burnley because they have a specific threat and I needed defenders who are used to playing together."