Klopp coy on van Dijk, wary of Sheffield United threat
SHOWS:
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
1. VARIOUS OF LIVERPOOL DEFENDER VIRGIL VAN DIJK AT TRAINING
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (OCTOBER 23, 2020) (LIVERPOOL FC HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL)
2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER JUERGEN KLOPP SAYING ABOUT VIRGIL VAN DIJK:
"Yeah I can understand that people are interested in that. We saw Virgil, was here, he is ok. But about when the surgery will happen and stuff like this, I don't think it makes sense to give pretty much a time schedule every day but it will be fine. And it will happen at an appropriate time. So that is it pretty much. He is as good as possible."
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
3. VARIOUS OF VAN DIJK AT TRAINING
4. KLOPP WATCHING TRAINING
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (OCTOBER 23, 2020) (LIVERPOOL FC HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL)
5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER JUERGEN KLOPP SAYING ABOUT VIRGIL VAN DIJK:
"Oh that is the next one. We don't even want to know it to be honest. It will take time. That is clear. In the end it is really like this, all people are different, and we should really not limit that by saying for him it was that long, for him it was that long. I think it makes sense from a specific moment in the recovery, in the rehab time that he really... it becomes individual, because everybody copes different with it, each body, and that is why there is no need for."
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
6. KLOPP AT TRAINING
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (OCTOBER 23, 2020) (LIVERPOOL FC HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL)
7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LIVERPOOL MANAGER JUERGEN KLOPP SAYING ABOUT VIRGIL VAN DIJK:
"And Sheffield United deserve a lot of attention for what they do because they are really good at that. Even when the results were so far not how they wished for. But the performances were not that bad, I am pretty sure that Chris Wilder knows that. And they will build on that, and that makes it for us tricky, and then they had a full week to prepare the game. And with all the strength they have in set pieces anyway, they have time for working on that as well. So it will be a tough one for us like it always was against Sheffield, so that is why we are completely focussed on the game and not thinking about the general situation in the Premier League."
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND, UK (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)
8. VARIOUS OF KLOPP AT TRAINING
STORY: Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said defender Virgil van Dijk is "as good as possible" but could give no timescale of how long he would be out for.
The influential Dutchman limped off in last week's Merseyside derby after being tackled by Jordan Pickford, and faces a season on the sidelines with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Speaking at a news conference ahead of Liverpool's Premier League clash with Sheffield United at the weekend, Klopp would also not confirm when van Dijk would have surgery.
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 61 home Premier League matches but Klopp is aware of the challenge posed by United on Saturday (October 24).
Premier League champions Liverpool are closing in on a club record of 63 home games undefeated, set between 1978-81. The last time they were beaten at Anfield in the league was when they lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace in April 2017.
Chris Wilder's Sheffield United were last season's surprise package after they finished ninth on their return to the top-flight but are winless and 19th after five games of the new season.
(Production: Iain Axon)
