Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk needs to undergo surgery and faces months on the sidelines as a result of the injury he sustained in yesterday’s Merseyside derby against Everton.
The Netherlands international was injured in a challenge by Toffees keeper Jordan Pickford, which went unpunished due to an offside call before the tackle.
Van Dijk, aged 29, saw a specialist and had a scan on his knee after yesterday’s 2-2 draw at Goodison Park.
Liverpool have now confirmed that Van Dijk will have to have a knee operation.
A statement from the Reds revealed that the Dutch defender had suffered ligament damage and would go under the knife.
The Premier League champions declined to put a timescale on when they expect Van Dijk to resume training, but an ACL injury usually entails a layoff of at least eight months.
That raises the possibility of Jurgen Klopp’s side undertaking the rest of their title defence without their star defender.
