Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez make long-awaited injury returns for Liverpool in pre-season defeat to Hertha Berlin
Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez made their long-awaited returns in Liverpool’s 4-3 defeat to Hertha Berlin on Thursday.
Both defenders, who suffered serious knee injuries last season, replaced Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips in the 69th minute of the pre-season friendly.
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Van Dijk had been sidelined since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament last October, while Gomez needed surgery to repair a tendon in his left knee which sidelined him for eight months.
Hertha Berlin raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Santiago Ascacibar and Suat Serdar, but Sadio Mane and Takumi Minamino were on target to draw Liverpool level before half-time in Austria.
Steven Jovetic’s second-half brace secured the win for the Bundesliga club as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored a late consolation.
Despite the disappointing loss, Liverpool fans will be extremely happy to see the return of Van Dijk.
And while the Dutchman’s comeback is very promising, Reds supporters have been urged to give him time to get back to his best.
Former Leeds and Everton striker Jermaine Beckford told talkSPORT: “His immediate impact – after arriving for £75m – was phenomenal. So to have him back is incredible for Liverpool.
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“I don’t think Liverpool should expect to see the Van Dijk of old immediately because he’s coming back from a bad knee injury.
“I’ve had three myself and it takes a lot to go back to the standards he set himself – which are very high.
“With someone like Van Dijk, you have to have patience, he will make mistakes and he will look a bit rusty but eventually he will get back to the level where he left off.”
After the match, an emotional Van Dijk wrote on social media: “285 days ago, I started on a journey back towards playing.
“It’s hard to express how I am feeling, but it’s important to me that I say I feel blessed to have had the support of so many incredible people.
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“The surgeon, my physios, coaches and staff who have been with me in my corner since day one.
“My teammates for giving me energy and keeping my head up. The fans for their love, support and encouragement.
“And most of all, my family because without them, I’d be nothing. Thank you. The work doesn’t stop now. It’s only just starting. We keep going!”
July 30, 2021 at 01:21AM Premier League Football Fixtures and Results - talkSPORT https://ift.tt/3u9h8Xr
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