Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk undergoes ‘successful’ surgery on his knee ligament injury

Liverpool have confirmed Virgil van Dijk has had successful surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury following Jordan Pickford’s challenge in this month’s Merseyside derby.

The 29-year-old is expected to miss the rest of the season after being on the receiving end of a reckless tackle from Everton goalkeeper Pickford.

The club have so far remained silent on the duration they expect to be without their defensive talisman, but have confirmed surgery in London has taken place without any issues. 

Liverpool have confirmed Virgil van Dijk has had successful surgery on his knee after suffering ligament damage

A club statement read: ‘Virgil van Dijk has undergone successful surgery on the knee ligament injury he sustained earlier this month.

‘He’ll now focus on the beginning of his rehabilitation with the support of our medical department.’

Despite the Dutchman’s expected long-term absence, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp had admitted that the club have coped as well as possible in van Dijk’s absence.

‘He is the best centre back in the world. You play a game he gets injured and you play three days later so of course that’s difficult to do because all the boys played together with him and we didn’t have long for them to get used to playing without him,’ Klopp said last week.

 Van Dijk is expected to miss the rest of the season as a result of Jordan Pickford’s reckless challenge in the Merseyside derby earlier this month

‘And Fabinho, who normally plays as a six, has had to come in and play with Joe.

‘For that we did pretty well and that will get better 100 per cent because unfortunately everything in life takes time and defending takes time.

‘We expect not perfection but not too far away from perfection. Everyone needs time to replace a massive person or player and so far we’ve done pretty well.’