Dejan Lovren has told Virgil van Dijk not to rush his comeback from injury just to play a part in this summer's European Championships.
The Liverpool defender underwent surgery after suffering damage to his cruciate ligaments in the controversial 2-2 draw with Everton in October.
At the time, Van Dijk attempted to play on after Jordan Pickford's reckless challenge, but was quickly forced off and Liverpool have been reluctant to put a time frame on when their defender might be able to return.
Van Dijk went under the knife in London at the end of October and has been steadily working on his rehabilitation since.
After undertaking some light gym work at the club's AXA Training Centre in December, the £75million man has spent much of his time since in Dubai, taking part in sessions at the NAS Sports Complex.
Over the weekend, Van Dijk shared a video of himself working with the ball at the complex after meeting up with his former Reds team-mate Lovren.
In an interview with Russian publication, Sport Express, Lovren, who now plies his trade for Zenit St Petersburg, explained the details of the conversation between the pair.
And the ex-Reds man has told his friend not to return before he is 100 per cent purely for the sake of taking part in the Euros with Holland later this year.
"We talked about his recovery, about the knee," Lovren said. "You know that Virgil has a serious injury - the cruciate ligaments are damaged.
"Moreover, when this happened, at first he did not even feel anything. He starts to walk, everything is fine, and after a few steps it gets worse and worse.
"But I hope he will be back in service soon. I advised Van Dijk not to speed up the recovery [to be fit] by Euro 2020.
"If the risk of relapse persists, it is best to wait.
"Virgil is young for a center-back, he is only 29 years old. There will still be major tournaments in his career."
Lovren called time on a six-year stay on Merseyside last summer after falling behind Van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip in the pecking order.
The Croatia international says he has no regrets over the move as he detailed what it was like to play for Klopp for close to five years.
Lovren also said that Liverpool are currently missing him more than ever as Klopp continues to grapple with a shortage of centre-backs at Anfield.
Lovren added: "I'll call it work ethic. Klopp challenges the players to work hard.
"That is why I want to show everyone it doesn't matter if you play against Arsenal or Lazio or Borussia Dortmund, the mood should be the same.
"This is what I learned at Liverpool. It's not just Chelsea and Manchester United that have to give their best.
"It is necessary to constantly and consistently maintain a high level of football.
"So for me it doesn't matter who Zenit meets, I give myself one hundred per cent anyway. I would like to convey this approach to the younger generation.
"No, I don’t regret [leaving]. My decision in the summer was firm - to leave Liverpool, and I do not look back.
"I got upset last season when I didn't play, but now everything is different.
"I think Liverpool miss me more than I miss them and Jurgen Klopp knows this, because we communicate. He wrote recently: 'We miss you.'
"I spoke with Jurgen [after I left], but I will not disclose details. Jurgen said only good things and wished him luck."
