Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has made it clear that he will not take risks on the fitness of Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk, with the defensive duo not going to rush back into action in anticipation of the new Premier League season.
What did Jurgen Klopp say?
The Reds are due to open their 2021-22 campaign in the newly-lifted Norwich on August 14, with three more friendly dates due before then. Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk will not feature in the next one, against Hertha Berlin on Thursday, with the two centers working their way back from a knee ligament injury that was loosened back into Jurgen Klopp’s crease.
The Liverpool boss told the club’s official website when asked if Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk will return to their plans anytime soon, which would still be a surprise, unfortunately, but they look very good. Klopp thinks they do everything, they play football, they keep them in training, they do what they can, they don’t do too much and all.
According to Jurgen Klopp, they just have to be patient, preparing for a full season, not a pre-season game. Klopp won’t risk playing here, so they should take a look. They still have a lot of games, pre-season games, but Liverpool’s Boss doesn’t see them getting involved in the next one.
A little about Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk
Dutch international Virgil van Dijk has been missing for Liverpool since he figured out a date with Everton in the Merseyside derby on October 17, 2020. A clash with goalkeeper Toffees Jordan Pickford in that match saw a talismanic presence for the Reds pushed to the sidelines.
The traumatized setbacks for Jurgen Klopp came out thick and fast from now on, many of those who left him exhausted from behind. Joe Gomez was eliminated just under a month after Virgil van Dijk saw his season go to an end. A 24-year-old teenager injured a tendon in his left knee while on international watch with England. His last appearance for Liverpool came in a 1-1 draw with Man City on November 8, 2020.