Virgil van Dijk shares Liverpool injury boost as ‘Sensational’ ace returns
Virgil van Dijk has shared that Joe Gomez has returned to first-team training for Liverpool.
The 27-year-old was forced off after 37 minutes during the 5-0 win against West Ham United on 29 December and has been nursing a hamstring issue ever since.
Gomez was eager to push for an Anfield exit throughout the summer after he was offered to Newcastle United [The Mirror]. Still, he was on a run of six consecutive starts before the injury.
Now, Reds captain van Dijk shared an Instagram story on Tuesday (28 January) of himself with his centre-back partner at the AXA Training Centre as Gomez nears a return to first team action.
Joe Gomez nears Liverpool return
Van Dijk was one of nine regular starters left behind for Wednesday’s Champions League clash against PSV (29 January).
With a tricky trip to the Vitality Stadium up next in the Premier League against high-flyers Bournemouth (1 February), Arne Slot will need his strongest eleven to be fit and ready to go.
The Cherries dismantled the Reds’ title rivals Nottingham Forest in a jaw-dropping 5-0 win last weekend and will be eager to add another major Premier League scalp on the South Coast.
However, Gomez’s return is more significant than Liverpool supporters will even give credit for.
Jurgen Klopp described the defender as a “sensational footballer” for his efforts throughout the 2019/20 title-winning campaign, during which he forged a formidable partnership with van Dijk (liverpoolfc.com, 31 January 2020).
Although the Reds are in a fantastic position in January and look well-positioned to win the league title, a lot can change between now and May – Slot will rely heavily on the title-winning experience within the squad to keep the players on course.
Furthermore, Ibrahima Konate has a poor track record regarding injuries – absolutely every Liverpool player will have a role to play in every competition.
In other Liverpool news, David Ornstein drops Reds transfer update as Al-Nassr twist emerges for striker.
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