Not likely that Virgil van Dijk will play again in the 2020/21 season, reveals Jurgen Klopp
Virgil van Dijk has been out injured since mid-October
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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Virgil van Dijk is unlikely to play again in the current season with the Dutch defender still recovering from his knee injury. The former Southampton center-back has been out since mid-October after he suffered a knee ligament injury against Everton.
Liverpoolās injury problems this season have been well documented with the Reds losing not one but two key center-backs in the space of a couple of weeks. First Virgil van Dijk suffered a potentially season-ending knee ligament injury after which Joe Gomez also suffered the same injury while on duty with the England national team. That has forced Jurgen Klopp to re-think his defense with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho deputising alongside Nathaniel Philips, Joel Matip, and Rhys Williams.
However, with Matip also now ruled out for the remainder of the season, it forced the clubās hands as they signed not one but two center-backs on transfer deadline day. But with hopes high that Virgil van Dijk will make his recovery before the end of the season, Jurgen Klopp has admitted that he doesnāt believe that is likely. The German confessed, in an interview, that āno doctor has really told me thereās a chance for Virgil to play in this season again.ā He added that itās not āabsolutely impossibleā but itās ānot likelyā either.
āWhatever happens, I think we have space for Virgil on the Champions League list. I think he was on the Premier League list. Nobody told me I have to change something with that. If we have space in the Champions League list then Virgil will be on the list. In the moment, I donāt know where these things are coming from ā nobody really, no doctor, nobody really told me thereās a chance for Virgil to play in this season again," Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com.
āI donāt want to say thatās absolutely impossible but itās not likely. Itās not likely. We donāt have to discuss these things really. If we have space we would put them all on, even when all the medical people tell us thereās no chance. We put them on because we believe in miracles from time to time.
āBut if thereās no place then we have to consider these kind of things and say, āThe chance is not too big so we have to make the decision.ā But if they are on the list then itās only because we hope for nearly a miracle. Thatās it.ā
