A Dutch surgeon has warned Virgil van Dijk over his potential return plans. The Liverpool star needs to consider things very carefully.
Virgil van Dijk hasn’t played football since October 17th – but you probably knew that. His injury has had a dramatic effect on Liverpool’s season.
It is, without a doubt, the defining moment of the season.
But he has to return sometime and it could be this summer. The Netherlands will compete at Euro 2020 and Van Dijk may feature.
The Telegraaf claims he’s yet to make up his mind and may try to play at the competition. That’s undoubtedly a negative for Liverpool – they’ll want him in pre-season training.
The risk of aggravating the injury is a serious one, after all. And that’s led to a Dutch surgeon warning Van Dijk against an early return.
Labelling it a ‘considerable risk’, Bas Pijnenburg said this to Nos:
“It takes just as long for a top athlete to recover as it does for any other person.
“What makes it dangerous is that a knee can quickly feel good for a top athlete. The muscles and coordination may already be good, but recovery is still in full swing.
“Starting too early would also send a bad signal to other people who have had this surgery.”
What RTK has to say
Listen, Virgil!
In all seriousness, though, Van Dijk has a complex decision, here. He will want to play. How many players get to captain their country at an international competition?
And at 29, he knows he doesn’t have many more opportunities to do so. It will be very tough for Van Dijk to sit this one out.
But he really should. Aggravating his injury would be an utter disaster for everyone involved – including the Dutch national team, who will want him at his best for the 2022 World Cup.
Fingers crossed, then, that Van Dijk takes it easy this summer. Yes, we’re biased, but it sounds like the best thing for all involved.
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