Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has now shared his sympathies for former teammate Sadio Mane, who suffered an injury scare ahead of the World Cup last week.
On Tuesday, the 30-year-old was forced off the pitch with an issue to his right fibula during Bayern Munich’s 6-1 victory over Werder Bremen.
Speaking with GOAL about the injury, van Dijk expressed his sadness for the Senegal international, who is now set to miss his nation’s opening World Cup fixture against the Netherlands on November 21.
“It’s going to be tough if he plays, yes or not. I don’t think he will play, but they have a fantastic team,” the Dutch captain claimed.
Asked if he has spoken to his former Liverpool colleague, Van Dijk added: “Of course. I was feeling sad for him, first and foremost.
“I’m not happy in this case and I’ve been in that situation where I missed the Euros [in 2021].
“We as players, we work so hard to get to this stage and he has been such an important figure in that group, for their country.
“I know for a fact that he will put a brave face on it, but it’s tough and I feel sorry for him.
“I just want to tell him that whether he plays, yes or no, it’s going to be such a tough game.”
van Dijk shares his sympathies for Mane
Although disappointed by his friend’s injury, the 31-year-old will be excited to kick off his first major tournament at senior level.
The centre-back has been slightly below his usual impeccable form this season, for which he has received unfair criticism.
In the Premier League this term, van Dijk has averaged 4.1 clearances, 1.1 interceptions and 0.6 blocks per game.
However, excluding Bobby Clark’s seven-minute cameo, the Dutchman leads the Reds with an 88.8% pass accuracy, with the highest number of passes per match: 81.1 on average.
Therefore, despite criticism this season, the player has still been able to show glimpses of why he is renowned as one of the best defenders in world football.
Mane, on the other hand, will be devastated with his latest injury. Although he won’t be ready for his country’s clash against the Netherlands, there is still the chance he could play later on in the tournament.
With the World Cup being played in the middle of winter, injuries were always going to be rife amongst national team squads.
Whilst the Senegal international’s has come just before the start of the competition, many more players are likely to return with issues.
Otherwise, Klopp’s squad could have a difficult end to the season on their hands.
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