Virgil van Dijk provides a health report on his latest injury ahead of Liverpool’s encounter with Everton
Liverpool have been dealt a difficult hand of injuries this season as they strive to give Jurgen Klopp the perfect send-off. A number of crucial players have been away due to both short-term and long-term illnesses, leaving the Reds extremely vulnerable in certain places. The defence has undoubtedly been the largest source of concern, with seven players — including Alisson — needing to sit out at some stage. Joël Matip’s absence is the most noticeable, having sustained an ACL injury in December, prematurely ending his final season at Anfield.
Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson have been injured this season, and Virgil van Dijk has recently been playing through pain. The captain required treatment early in Liverpool’s Europa League match against Atalanta, and it has since been revealed that he had a dislocated finger, which was popped back into place so he could play. Van Dijk played the Reds’ most recent game against Fulham with his finger taped up, although he downplayed the issue following the victory at Craven Cottage. He stated, “In the first minute against Atalanta, it was pointing in the wrong direction.” It’s dislocated, and I did it before against Norway with Holland. “It’s only one finger!” Indeed, the last time this occurred to
Van Dijk returned in 2021 to face Norway in a World Cup qualification. The event occurred after a heated battle between the Dutch captain and Erling Haaland. Despite the dislocated finger, Van Dijk continued to play. “He actually snapped his finger on him,” Haaland explained after the match. “I am not sure how it happened. He simply stated, ‘fng hell, you broke my finger’. He’s fine, so to speak. I don’t know how I snapped his finger. That’s just the way things are.” Given that van Dijk played the entire 90 minutes against Fulham with his finger taped up, the centre-back is likely to do the same in tonight’s Merseyside derby.