Virgil van Dijk, the captain of Liverpool, has acknowledged that he feels “gutted” for Andy Robertson following the shoulder injury to the latter.
Robertson, 29-year-old, dislocated his shoulder while serving overseas and looks to be out for the remainder of the year.
During Scotland’s loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 qualifying round, Liverpool’s starting left back clashed with Unai Simon. He was forced to leave the pitch with his arm in a sling wrapped in his jersey.
Since then, Jurgen Klopp has disclosed that Robertson would need surgery to assist lower the possibility of the injury recurring, lengthening the defender’s recovery time.
Given that shoulder surgery recuperation normally takes three months, the majority of projections indicate that Robertson will miss the majority of 2023, if not the entire season.
After Liverpool’s victory in the Merseyside derby on Saturday, Van Dijk disclosed to the media that he had spoken with Robertson about his dismissal.
“I told him about it when it happened. For him, I’m devastated,” Van Dijk added.
“It’s not pleasant to have a serious injury; the shoulder requires a lot of treatment; we saw this with Mo [Salah], but we are here to assist him throughout, and he will recover great. He faces challenging weeks.”
In Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Everton, Kostas Tsimikas filled in for Robertson, but he was replaced midway through the second half as the Reds failed to score.
Along with the 27-year-old international for Greece, Klopp has also suggested that youthful players Luke Chambers and Calum Scanlon, as well as Joe Gomez, might see action in Robertson’s absence during the increasingly demanding schedule.
Van Dijk commented on Liverpool’s mentality as the schedule’s increasing number of games: “It is only game by game by game, that’s how we approach everything.”
“Keep active and make the most of the moment. We are really honoured to play for one of the largest clubs in the world, so let’s show it, be proud, and have fun.”