Van Dijk needs right knee surgery, set for long absence

Liverpool’s hopes of retaining the Premier League title took a significant hit when the champions introduced Virgil van Dijk requires surgical procedure on his proper knee after damaging ligaments in a problem by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford throughout the Merseyside derby.

Liverpool didn’t give a timescale on Van Dijk’s absence, however an damage of that nature will seemingly hold the Netherlands worldwide out for a protracted interval.

“Following surgery,” Liverpool stated, “Van Dijk will begin a rehabilitation program with the club’s medical team to enable him to reach full fitness as soon as possible.” Van Dijk was the topic of a reckless, knee-high lunge by Pickford within the sixth minute of the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday. The heart again instantly got here off after prolonged therapy and hobbled gingerly across the area to the locker room. It meant English soccer’s participant of the yr from 2018-19 missed his first minutes of league motion since September 2018.

Van Dijk has been a commanding presence on the coronary heart of Liverpool’s again line all through the staff’s rise to the highest of English and European soccer in recent times. Liverpool has conceded the fewest objectives of any staff in every of the final two Premier League seasons.

Without its greatest defender, Liverpool supervisor Jürgen Klopp has two specialist heart backs in Joel Matip — who has not too long ago returned from damage — and Joe Gomez, who has struggled for kind this season.

Fabinho, a defensive central midfielder, may also drop again to play at heart half if essential.

Liverpool is also at the moment hampered by the lack of its first-choice goalkeeper, Alisson Becker.

The video games are coming thick and quick for the staff, which begins its Champions League group-stage marketing campaign on Wednesday with a visit to Ajax. There are group video games in successive midweeks till the following worldwide break in mid-November.

Liverpool has 10 factors from a doable 15 after the opening 5 video games of its title protection, and lies three factors behind first-place Everton.