Virgil van Dijk set for Liverpool return in friendly with Hertha Berlin, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp confirms

ByEurosport

Updated 26/07/2021 at 13:58 GMT

“I hope, I am not sure, that there is the opportunity that Virgil could play a few minutes,” Reds boss Jurgen Klopp told the club’s official website of Van Dijk. “He looks really good in training and maybe we can bring [him in], but I need to have some final conversations. He looks ready and we will see.”

Virgil van Dijk is in contention to make his return for Liverpool against Hertha Berlin on Thursday.

The Netherlands international has been on the sidelines since suffering a serious knee injury against Everton in October of last year.

He was on a tailored rehabilitation programme before joining the rest of the Liverpool squad for pre-season training in Austria.

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After responding positively to the sessions, Van Dijk is poised to step things up by featuring in the friendly against the Bundesliga side.

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“I hope, I am not sure, that there is the opportunity that Virgil could play a few minutes,” Reds boss Jurgen Klopp told the club’s official website.

“He looks really good in training and maybe we can bring [him in], but I need to have some final conversations. He looks ready and we will see.”

Fellow defender Joe Gomez is also close to a return from his own serious knee injury.

The England international is not expected to figure against Hertha, but is not far behind Van Dijk in terms of fitness.

"Joey is very close," Klopp said. "There is no race between the two of them; they had different injuries and stuff like this, but [he is] very close.

If Virgil can play now 20 then probably Joey can in the game after. We will see. In training they both look really good."

Despite being pleased with the progress of Gomez and Van Dijk and delivering an upbeat bulletin, Klopp moved to rein in expectation.

He said: “I think from time to time there are some pictures of them from training sessions and everyone can see how good it looks, but there is no rush for us. It is not about they now need five pre-season games to be ready for the start or whatever.

“It is a long season and we prepare them after these very, very serious injuries for the rest of their careers and not for the first game of the season.”

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