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Liverpool have confirmed that Virgil van Dijk will be out for a few months because of an ACL injury. The centre-back got injured in the Merseyside derby last weekend following a reckless tackle from Jordan Pickford.
The Reds haven't confirmed a timetable for his recovery as the Dutchman is yet to undergo surgery. Reports suggest that the total time he spends on the sidelines will be determined after he is assessed post-surgery.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has now sent a message to the Liverpool defender and wished him well. He added that he knows how bad it is to lose important players as he was without Aymeric Laporte for a long time last season. He said:
"I hope Virgil gets well soon and recovers. I don't like important players being injured and out for a long time. I don't know him, but he looks strong. I look forward to him coming back and making our league better. He's one of the best. All the best to him and Liverpool."
'A massive blow' says Liverpool captain
Jordan Henderson, the Liverpool captain, sent a message to his teammates and the fans after Van Dijk's injury was confirmed. He claims that the centre-back will come back stronger but until then, the club needs to ensure they are fighting for trophies once again. He said:
"It's a tough one. It's a big blow for us. For him personally, obviously. But for us as a team, a massive blow. I'm just gutted for him. It's a difficult moment, but that's when you need to be there for each other.
That's down to us as players to make sure that when he is back and he is fit that we're still fighting to be successful and fighting for trophies. You've got to use times like this to be stronger and to be even more together than we already are. And use it as a positive in some way."
Liverpool take on Ajax tonight at the Amsterdam Arena in the UEFA Champions League. The two sides have never met before in the competition and tonight's meeting will be the first one ever between the two giants.
