Virgil van Dijk opens up on conversation with Andrew Robertson following shoulder injury
- Andrew Robertson likely to miss three months with shoulder injury
- Liverpool decided surgery was best course of action after suffering dislocation
- Virgil van Dijk has revealed he has been in touch with the left-back
By Sean Walsh
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has sent a message of support to Andrew Robertson after being ruled out for a number of months with injury.
Robertson dislocated his shoulder in a collision with Unai Simon during Scotland's 2-0 loss to Spain during the October internationals. After returning to England to be assessed by Liverpool's medical staff, it was decided that the best course of action would be to undergo surgery to avoid the injury reoccurring in the near future.
Recovery from shoulder surgery usually takes up to three months, meaning it is unlikely that Robertson will play again in 2023.
Speaking to the media after Liverpool's 2-0 win against Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday, Van Dijk was asked whether he had been in touch with Robertson regarding this lengthy layoff.
"Of course. I spoke to him when it happened. I'm gutted for him," Van Dijk said.
"It's not nice to have an injury that is bad, the shoulder is hard work, we've seen it with Mo [Salah], there's so much work to go through but we are here to support him all the way through and he will be fine. Tough weeks ahead of him."
Robertson was replaced in the starting lineup to face Everton by Kostas Tsimikas, who recently put pen to paper on a new long-term contract at Anfield.
The visitors were reduced to ten men in the first half when Ashley Young was sent off for two bookable offences, though Liverpool had to wait until the 75th minute to take the lead through Salah from the penalty spot. The Egyptian wrapped up proceedings on the counter attack in the seventh minute of stoppage time at the end of the second half.
Regarding Saturday's performance, Van Dijk added: "We shouldn't panic [at 0-0], we have the quality that whatever happens in the game, 1-0 down or in the last couple of minutes still 0-0, chasing for the winner, we have to be calm and that’s a sign of a great team because we have players that can make a difference. Today we did that very well.
"You try to be patient, you try to play quick and sometimes you take a bit of risk with passing and if you lose the ball that can happen. It's about how you react and work defensively and I think we did that very well."
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