Jurgen Klopp delivered a gloomy injury update on Virgil van Dijk as he questioned why Jordan Pickford wasn’t punished for the challenge that is set to sideline the Liverpool defender.
The Reds fear Van Dijk could be out for a number of weeks after he was caught by a horror challenge from Everton goalkeeper during the 2-2 Merseyside derby draw at Goodison on Sunday.
Van Dijk – who has started every Premier League game for Liverpool since January 2018 – underwent lengthy treatment before being replaced by Joe Gomez.
And Klopp is braced for being without the centre-back for a significant period, with the player later visiting hospital for scans to ascertain the extent of the damage.
When asked how serious Van Dijk’s injury was, the Reds boss said: “I don’t know. It’s not good.
“Virgil played I don’t know how many games in a row, he plays with pain, he plays with pretty much everything.
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“But he couldn’t play on. That’s not good.”
Van Dijk was caught heavily by Pickford as he sought to meet a free-kick, but there was no censure from the officials after the Liverpool man was adjudged to have initially been offside by VAR.
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And Klopp said: “I haven’t seen it again. Only in the game, and for me it was a clear penalty that I saw.
“Obviously, we saw the flag went up for offside. I still thought it was worth having a look for the foul but that didn’t happen.
“We have no power there. We just sit here and we discuss it. We have to ask other people about that, not me.
“It’s not a challenge a goalkeeper can do in the box. If it’s not offside it’s a 100% penalty.”
