Jurgen Klopp has issued an update on the condition of both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez as Liverpool continue their preparations for the season in Austria.
Both defenders missed the majority of last season due to injury and the Reds will be desperate to make them dare to go for the 2021/22 campaign. Van Dijk was ruled out in October with an ACL injury caused by a ruthless challenge from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
A few days later, Gomez was also suspended for the year when he injured his left knee and required surgery.
The pair were included in Liverpool’s training group that recently traveled to Salzburg and they have gradually intensified their rehabilitation. However, none of them presented when the Reds played their first games before the season on Tuesday – two mini-games against Wacker Innsbruck and Stuttgart.
They have another match on Friday against Mainz, the club where Klopp started his leadership career already in 2001.
? @ J_Gomez97 @VirgilvDijk? # LFCPreSeason pic.twitter.com/JFw5r44nwK
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 20 July 2021
Asked if any of the defenders can play in the competition, he said: “It would be a surprise for me too. They have looked really good in training and yesterday was the first day where they did very complex things, usually it is offensive or defensive. “We have to get there step by step, but I do not expect them on Friday.”
Although Gomez and Van Dijk are still far from ready for the match, the Reds have had several injury steps in recent times.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Matip – who both had their fitness problems last semester – both played in the Red’s pre-season opener, as did Trent Alexander-Arnold. The right-back missed England’s trip to the European Championship 2020 final with a knock but should be ready for his club’s team’s Premier League curtain raise against Norwich City on 14 August.
