I'm fully focused on my recovery to be back as quickly as possible - Van Dijk
The defender was forced off the Merseyside derby after Jordan Pickford's collision
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Virgil van Dijk has assured to return as quickly as possible from his knee injury sustained in the Merseyside Derby which ended 2-2 on Saturday.
The Reds have confirmed that the 29-year old will demand a surgery, which will keep him out for some time.
Van Dijk was crushed by Jordan Pickford following a tough challenge on the defender in the yard box which affected his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), one of the key ligaments that help stabilize the knee joint.
Liverpool released a statement on Sunday that the player will undergo surgery with no specific timescale being placed upon his return to action.
According to Van Dijk, he is certain that God will guide him to return better and stronger than ever.
— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) October 18, 2020
"This afternoon I met with a leading consultant to start the process of planning the finer details of my rehabilitation following the incident yesterday.
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"I'm now fully focused on my recovery and will do everything I can to be back as quickly as possible. Despite the obvious disappointment, I'm a firm believer that within difficultly lies opportunity and with God's help I'm going to make sure I can return better, fitter and stronger than ever before.
"In football, as in life, I believe everything happens for a reason and it's important to try and keep level headed whether going through the highs or the lows. With the support of my wife, kids, family and everyone at Liverpool, I'm ready for the challenge ahead.
"I'd like to thank everyone for the messages of support, it's meant a huge amount to me and my family, and I'll now be doing everything possible to support my teammates in any way I can ahead of a big few weeks ahead as I take my own recovery day by day. I'll be back."
The absence of the defender leaves Liverpool with two central defenders – Matip and Gomez for the league, with Fabinho, expected as an alternative.
The Reds will face Ajax in the opening fixture of the Champions League on Wednesday night before Sheffield United on Saturday night.
