Van Dijk Facing Eight Months Out With Injury

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has reportedly suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and is facing seven or eight months out of action.

The Netherland international limped off after a horror challenge from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the first half of Saturday’s Merseyside Derby.

Pickford was lucky to escape a red card after scything the Dutchman down in the box early on, clattering into his knee with the challenge.

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Later on Saturday afternoon, Paul Joyce updated that Van Dijk had been taken for a scan to immediately assess the severity of his condition.

And it has now been reported on the BeIN Sports broadcast: “The information that we’re receiving is that he’s done his anterior cruciate ligament in that incident with Jordan Pickford.

“And he’ll be out for the best part of seven/eight months if that is the case.”

The challenge appeared a certain penalty and sending off, but a VAR review showed Van Dijk was just offside before Pickford’s wild tackle.

It was initially claimed that the offside cancelled out any serious foul play, which meant Pickford was spared.

But PGMOL then confirmed that the VAR had failed to check whether it was a red card due to the analysis of the offside and, as it was a SUBJECTIVE decision, they ruled Pickford had made a genuine attempt to play the ball.