Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez looked “really good” in Liverpool training before the season when they intensified their recoveries after long-term injuries, according to Jurgen Klopp.
Van Dijk was ruled out for the season in October last year and suffered a terrible knee injury after a high tackle from Jordan Pickford in the Merseyside derby. A few weeks later, Gomez was also suspended and he would not play again during the campaign.
The couple’s absence was a bitter blow last season / Pool / Getty Images
The loss of their two starting midfielders was a serious blow to Liverpool’s chances of retaining the Premier League title, with the inexperienced pair Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips throwing themselves into the first team and like Jordan Henderson and Fabinho forced to play out of position.
On the club’s website from Red’s training camp before the season in Austria, Klopp gave a positive update on the couple’s recovery.
“Virg and Joe will not have double sessions now the first days with the team; they have a second session of the day but it is with Andreas Schlumberger, with the rehabilitation department, physiotherapy, things like that,” he said.
“It’s for these two. [They] looks really good. I do not know exactly when we can take the next step but it will happen in the next four weeks, for sure – we will get a big step forward. ”
Co-defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joel Matip are also recovering from injuries. Klopp said that the duo were both close to returning to full training.
Keep an eye on day three in Austria … ⏳ # LFCPreSeason pic.twitter.com/3hUX4KCuOz
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 13 July 2021
“Joel looks good, absolutely, he is probably close to normal training and then we will see when we get him started to play,” he said.
“Trent was a serious enough injury but now no major, I would say. He is close but at the moment, probably the next five or six days, he has a special program: now and then with the team, probably now and then on time but in five or six or seven days he will be in normal team training. “
