[ad_1]
Former Republic of Ireland international Stephen Kelly is not convinced that the Liverpool defense can cope with the loss of midfielder Virgil Van Dijk.
The Dutch defender suffered an ACL injury in a collision with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the weekend’s 2-2 Merseyside derby.
Van Dijk is expected to be out of the game for several months as a result of the surgery, although he has yet to be ruled out for the remainder of the season, and speaking about 2fm’s Game On, Kelly said it is a huge blow to the national team. of the Reds. and European aspirations.
“It’s a huge blow for Liverpool. How many times have we said how much impact it has had, how influential it is, how important it is to that team,” he said.
“Their ability to win titles is due to the introduction of Virgil Van Dijk. Without him in the team, what does that do to them?
“I think it’s the biggest loss any team in the league can suffer.
“Can you get by without it? I’m not sure.”
Not only does the injury rob Jurgen Klopp of one of its most influential players for most of his Premier League title defense, it also leaves Liverpool with just two senior center-backs in Joel Matip, who has also been plagued with minor injuries, and Joe Gomez.
Klopp chose not to replace Dejan Lovren when he left for Zenit St. Petersburg in the summer and was content to bet on using midfielder Fabinho as cover.
[ad_2]