Jurgen Klopp has revealed that defender Virgil van Dijk is not “that close” to a return yet in a mixed injury update ahead of Monday’s Merseyside Derby against Everton.
The Reds welcome their struggling rivals to Anfield desperate to get back on track after a miserable run of form. They have not won in the Premier League in 2023 having been defeated by Brentford, Brighton and Wolves since the turn of the year - with a bore draw against Chelsea rounding off a poor run of results.
That has left the Merseyside outfit languishing in tenth in the Premier League and involved in a real battle to at least secure a place in Europe come the end of the campaign. Klopp’s side have been hugely hampered by injuries this season with seven first-team stars currently restricted to the sidelines - some struggling with more long-term injuries compared to others.
Ahead of Monday’s showdown, Klopp has given an update on the state of his squad with mixed news. He has suggested that Portuguese forward Diogo Jota is closing in on a return, whilst defender Van Dijk remains ruled out.
Speaking in a press conference, the German said: “The players are back in training, but in different stages. Diogo [Jota] is the closest he trains now normally for two days and we have three more days of training for him and he’s in contention for the squad I think.
“Bobby [Firmino], the next one, I don’t know. We have to see how that looks with training intensity and make a decision there. Virgil [van Dijk], I don’t think he’s that close yet. Arthur [Melo] is similar to Bobby I would say.”
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Klopp also detailed that Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara is a doubt ahead of the game. He revealed that the former Bayern Munich star was struggling with a hip problem after missing training for the majority of the week.
"Thiago has some problems, with hip flexor, that it is it pretty much, so he wasn't able to train," Klopp added.
Whilst the German did not seem particularly pleased to give the latest updates, there was however positive news regarding Colombian wideman Luis Diaz. The 26-year-old has not made an appearance for Liverpool in the Premier League since October following a knee injury.
But he gave an optimistic update to supporters during an interview with Sky Sports. "Hello Liverpool fans. I hope to be back soon," the former Porto star said.
Speaking about Diaz last week, Klopp confirmed: “Luis is running now, it will take a few weeks still, but he is now out on the pitch as well running, which is really good.”
Liverpool could potentially rise to eighth with a win over their cross-city rivals, whilst a defeat could plunge them below Aston Villa.
