Virgil van Dijk will be part of Liverpool’s match selection for the friendly match against Hertha BSC on Thursday evening, the English club announced via a special announcement. It is the central defender’s first chance of playing minutes since he suffered a serious knee injury last October. Joe Gomez, who has also been out of circulation for a long time due to a knee injury, is also part of the match selection.
The presence of Van Dijk is remarkable, as Jürgen Klopp previously indicated that he wanted to be patient around the return of the mandekker. “It would be a surprise if they (Van Dijk and Gomez, ed.) participate against Hertha BSC, unfortunately,” said the German coach on Friday after the 1-0 practice win over FSV Mainz 05. “Although both players are clear on the way back, at least they are doing everything they can. They are participating in everything and just training. We are doing the maximum for them, but we have to be patient.”
Klopp, however, soon went back on his words. “I hope, although I’m not sure, that the possibility arises that Virgil can join in for a few minutes,” Klopp said in an interview on Liverpool’s website on Monday. “He makes a strong impression in training, so it might be possible to use him on Thursday. Virgil seems to be ready for it in any case and we will see what will happen on Thursday. It makes sense that competitions are part of his and Joe Gomez’s rehabilitation process.”
Van Dijk injured his knee in October after a hard charge from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. As a result, he was sidelined for almost the entire season and also had to miss the European championship with the Dutch national team. After the friendly meeting with Hertha, Liverpool will also play against Athletic Club (August 8) and Osasuna (August 9). The new season in the Premier League will kick off on August 14 against doctoral candidate Norwich City of goalkeeper Tim Krul.
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