Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk has revealed he is "gutted" about a huge Reds injury update that has emerged recently, with "tough weeks" ahead for the player in question.
Liverpool injury updates
The Reds have experienced plenty of bad luck with injuries in recent years, with the 2020/21 season standing out as particularly bad, with Van Dijk one of many who was absent for a long period.
Last term was also difficult at times, however, with Jurgen Klopp having to make do with a host of key players for months on end, whether it be Luis Diaz, Ibrahima Konate or Thiago, to name just a few individuals.
Fortunately, Liverpool don't have as many absentees at the moment, but that's no say that certain important figures aren't available, with Andy Robertson injuring his shoulder while on international duty with Scotland, which will rule him out of action for a number of months. Midfield pair Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic are also still out, limiting the midfield options currently.
Van Dijk "gutted" over Robertson injury
Speaking about the injury update on Robertson, Van Dijk bemoaned his teammate's recent setback, saying there is a tough road ahead for his teammate in the coming months:
"Of course. I spoke to him when it happened. I'm gutted for him. It's not nice to have an injury that is bad, the shoulder is hard work, we've seen it with Mo [Salah], there's so much work to go through but we are here to support him all the way through and he will be fine. Tough weeks ahead of him."
Robertson has been a legendary player for Liverpool since arriving from Hull City back in the summer of 2017, joining as a relatively low-key signing but becoming one of the greatest left-backs in the club's history over time, if not the best.
Robertson's stats speak volumes about what a fabulous player he has been, with 57 assists coming his way in 260 appearances for the Reds, and no other defender in the history of the Premier League has registered more than him.
The 29-year-old is arguably only fully appreciated when he is out injured, and this is going to be an extremely testing period for Klopp without one of his most consistent players, with lots of pressure on Kostas Tsimikas to come in and perform on a regular basis.
1. Steven Gerrard
92
2. Mohamed Salah
62
3. Steve McManaman
58
4. Trent Alexander-Arnold
55
5. Andy Robertson
53
There is also the option of playing Joe Gomez at left-back, as he has done sporadically in the past – he could thrive as a slightly more central left-back, with Trent Alexander-Arnold drifting into midfield from right-back – while youngster Luke Chambers could also be given some minutes in that position.
Either way, not having Robertson around for the remainder of 2023 is a long way from ideal, and his combination of quality, fight, defensive nous and attacking class will be an enormous loss for Klopp, possibly having a negative impact on Liverpool's Premier League title hopes.