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Virgil van Dijk has backed Mohamed Salah to win his race against time to pull on the Liverpool shirt one last time before he leaves Anfield.
The Egyptian superstar left the pitch in tears during the weekend’s win over Crystal Palace, sparking fears of a premature end to a legendary career on Merseyside.
Van Dijk maintains hope for Anfield legend
The Liverpool captain refuses to accept that Salah has already made his final appearance for the club.
Despite Salah’s limping grim appearance, Van Dijk believes the 33-year-old’s recovery powers could see him return for the remaining home games.
“I hope so,” the defender replied when asked if Salah would play again. “There will be a medical evaluation which will then determine what the problem will be. I know he is doing everything in his power to get back on the field as quickly as possible.”
A moving outing for the Egyptian king
The timing of the injury is particularly cruel given Liverpool have just four matches remaining in their campaign.
With Salah set to leave when his contract expires in June, the prospect of him missing a stadium farewell is a heavy burden on the team. Van Dijk admitted the situation was weighing on his teammate’s mind as he left the field on Saturday.
“If you get injured at this stage of the season, especially in the situation he’s in, he only has two home games left, it’s a combination of feelings that go through your mind when you leave,” Van Dijk explained.
“The reality is he needs to get scanned, assessed, hopefully it won’t be long, but at this stage I don’t know. Maybe he’ll be back next week, maybe not. I have no idea.”
A guaranteed departure regardless of physical fitness
Salah’s legacy at Anfield is already set in stone, with 257 goals in 440 appearances making him the third highest scorer in the club’s history.
Whether he wins his fitness battle or not, Van Dijk is certain fans will pay the three-time PFA Player of the Year the tribute he deserves for his trophy-laden nine-year stint.
“He will still be sent off,” added Van Dijk. “I don’t think that’s the problem at this point, we shouldn’t think too far ahead. Knowing Mo, he heals quickly with the right people around us and let’s see.”
Reds look to secure Champions League football
Aside from the concern over Salah, Liverpool’s victory over Palace was a positive step towards qualifying for the Champions League.
The victory moved the Reds up to fourth in the Premier League table, behind Manchester United only in goals scored, although their main rivals still have a game in hand. Although Salah’s potential absence seems significant, the captain was quick to praise others who have stepped up,
“It’s important for Alex to score goals as a striker and it was a great goal,” said the Dutchman.
“From what I’ve seen from him, everyone knows, sees and experiences as a teammate how exceptional he is. It’s about winning games, gaining confidence, but obviously scoring goals as a striker – that’s the main trigger for him,” Van Djik added.
“I’m not worried about him at all. We want more than goals from him and that’s what he can bring, and he just has to keep working, stay fit and stay important for the football club because I think he will and he already is.”
