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Jordan Henderson wants Liverpool to use Virgil van Dijk’s absence as an added incentive as they dedicate themselves to achieving their goals without the Dutchman.
Van Dijk suffered knee ligament damage during last weekend’s Merseyside derby draw with Everton and faces an extended period on the sidelines while undergoing rehab.
Henderson admitted that the loss of No. 4 is a “big blow” for the Reds, but declared his confidence that Van Dijk will come back even stronger and his teammates will react on and off the field.
“Yes it’s hard. It is a great blow for us. For him personally, obviously. But for us as a team, a massive blow, ”the captain told Liverpoolfc.com on Monday.
“I am devastated for him. So it’s been a rough couple of days, I spoke to him yesterday. And yes, it is a difficult time, but that’s when you need to be there for each other.
“I will be there as much as I can for him, I am sure the boys will do the same and his family will certainly do it, to help him on the journey he will undertake.
But I’m sure it will come back stronger. In the meantime, we have to do everything we can to help ourselves get stronger and basically win every game we can for him, really.
“That is up to us as players to make sure that when he is back and in shape, we will continue to fight for success and for the trophies.
“You have to take advantage of moments like this to be stronger and be even closer together than we already are. And use it as a positive in some way; I know it sounds ridiculous at the moment, but that’s what you should try to do. We have to try to look ahead and try to help each other in the months ahead, no matter how many months Virgil is away.
“And also stay with him and be there for him when he needs us. But he’s a strong character, he’s strong mentally and he will certainly come back stronger and hopefully it won’t be too long. “
Liverpool took a point from a frenzied 2-2 draw at Goodison Park on Saturday, with Henderson denied a memorable injury-time winner by a fraction of offside.
However, the boss was encouraged by the way the Reds played against their neighbors.
“I think the performance was really good, especially the reaction from the previous game,” he said. “We are very happy with the level of performance and the intensity that we showed.
“Goodison is never an easy place to visit. I was very happy with the performance and we really have to keep going throughout the season. “
Next on the schedule for Henderson and company is a trip to Amsterdam, where Liverpool will begin their Champions League campaign against AFC Ajax in the opening match of Group D.
The midfielder anticipates a challenging encounter with the team that came within minutes of facing the Reds in the 2019 final before losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals, but insists his team will travel to the Netherlands with confidence.
“It will be a tough game, the Champions always is. Ajax is a good team, ”added number 14.
“Going there will be very difficult, but it always is. In football, it’s just about giving everything, doing everything we can and focusing on what is important to us: going there and getting all three points.
“I am confident that we can do it if we perform at the same level as we did on the weekend, and even better.”
