Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool defender in contention to return from injury against Hertha Berlin | Football News

Virgil van Dijk could make his return from long-term injury in Liverpool’s pre-season friendly against Hertha Berlin on Thursday, says manager Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool struggled in the absence of Van Dijk after the centre-back suffering a season-ending knee injury in the Merseyside derby at Everton in October last year.

Jurgen Klopp also revealed that fellow defender Joe Gomez is closing in on a return to action, with the 24-year-old having suffered his own serious knee injury while on international duty with England last November.

Speaking to the official club website, Klopp said: “I hope, I am not sure, that there is the opportunity that 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 will see.

“If you see the games now as part of their rehab training, that makes sense.

“Joey is very close. There is no race between the two of them; they had different injuries and stuff like this, but [he is] very close.

“If Virgil can play now 20 then probably Joey can in the game after. We will see. In training they both look really good.”

More to follow…

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