Liverpool’s towering Dutch defender, Virgil Van Dijk, has been ruled out of action for the foreseeable future following Jordan Pickford’s horrendous tackle in the Merseyside Derby.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has sent a message of support and encouragement to the Reds’ talismanic defender after he suffered a debilitating Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury which could see him missing the action for the rest of the campaign.
The news is, in no uncertain terms, a big blow to the Reds’ chances of retaining the Premier League title they won last season, and, to his credit, Guardiola has steadfastly refused to comment on whether this would greatly enhance City’s chances of regaining the Premier League title they held two seasons back as City themselves faced an almost similar problem last season when their centreback Aymeric Laporte was ruled out for four months after injuring his knee.
Guardiola clearly empathised with Van Dijk and the issues Liverpool now have to confront in his absence as he spoke ahead of City’s Champions League game against Porto on Wednesday.
“I cannot speak about how it will affect Liverpool. Jurgen can talk about this,” Guardiola said.
“We wish him to get well soon and have a good recovery. I don’t like opponents losing important players for a long time.
“I don’t know him but he looks strong so he’s going to come back well. We’ll wait for him to come back – the Premier League is better with good players and he is one of the best.
“Get well soon and all the best for him, his family and all of them.”
Credit: Football Tribe Malaysia
