After more than 9 months away from the football fields, Virgil Van Dijk is ready to return. The Dutch defender has been missing since October 17 last year, when a heavy intervention by goalkeeper Pickford in the derby against Everton caused a ruptured cruciate ligament and surgery became inevitable.

However, when more than 9 months have passed since the injury, the 30-year-old defender seems to have left everything behind and is ready to try to gradually return to the field of play, starting this Thursday in the friendly against Hertha Berlin.

The news was given by the Liverpool coach, Jurgen Klopp, who stated that he expects Van Dijk to be able to play at least 20 or 30 minutes in the friendly against the German club, to then continue with the gradual increase of the load.

“Virgil looks very good in training and I will talk to him before we decide, but I believe he will be able to play 20 or 30 minutes. We want to include him gradually and I believe that it will be time for Hertha to go down to the field again “, said the German coach.

The defender who helped Liverpool to triumph in the English Championship and the Champions League, this season left a big gap in the background of “the reds”, which Klopp could not fill even after interventions in the market.

The injury also left Van Dijk out of the European Championship, where the Netherlands failed in the 1/8 stage and exactly after a mistake in defense by Mathijs De Ligt.