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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk could return to action for the first time since October in Thursday's pre-season friendly against Hertha Berlin.
Van Dijk has missed nearly 10 months after undergoing surgery on a knee injury he sustained in the Merseyside derby against Everton last season.
The former Southampton star was unable to represent the Netherlands at Euro 2020 but was included in Liverpool's squad for their warm-weather training camp in Austria earlier this month.
He is now likely to be given a few minutes against Hertha Berlin as Liverpool ramp up their preparations for the new season.
"I hope, I am not sure, there is the opportunity Virgil could play a few minutes. He looks really good in training and maybe we can bring him in, but I need to have some final conversations. He looks ready and we'll see," Klopp told Liverpool's website.
Van Dijk joined Liverpool in January 2018 for £75 million. His arrival from Southampton marked a turning point in Liverpool's fortunes. The Merseyside club went on to win the Champions League in 2018-19 and their first ever Premier League title the following season.
But they struggled in the absence of the Dutch defender last season. With Joe Gomez and Joel Matip also injured for most of the campaign, Klopp was forced to play midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho as makeshift centre-backs on many occasions.
Despite their injury problems, Liverpool managed to finish the campaign in third place, securing automatic qualification for next season's Champions League.
Liverpool in the market for a new attacker
Virgil van Dijk's return will undoubtedly be a massive boost for Liverpool, but Jurgen Klopp will have to prioritize the signing of a striker to provide back-up to Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Liverpool managed just 68 goals last season, 17 fewer than they netted in their title-winning campaign in 2019-20.
The Reds have been linked with the likes of PSV's Donyell Malen, West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen and Juventus' Federico Chiesa in recent weeks.
