Virgil van Dijk injury update

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has revealed he suffered a painful calf injury during Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, leaving his involvement in Wednesday’s Champions League clash with LASK uncertain.

The 35-year-old picked up the problem towards the end of the match at Anfield and confirmed afterwards that he would be undergoing treatment in an attempt to make himself available for the trip to Austria.

Van Dijk is determined to feature despite the short turnaround between matches, although he acknowledged that the final decision will rest with Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.

Speaking to reporters following the defeat, the Dutch international explained: “Obviously it’s not a given I’m starting but I’m doing everything in my power to be ready.

“I had a little knock in the end on my calf which is pretty painful, so I’m going home to get some treatment to be ready for Wednesday.

“If I’m fit and ready to play I want to play. But at the end of the day it is the manager’s decision and we need everyone. The manager decides: if I play I play, if I don’t I don’t and that’s just it.”

The captain’s admission presents another concern for Iraola, who is already dealing with several injuries ahead of Liverpool’s return to European action.

There has been no official indication that Van Dijk will miss Wednesday’s fixture, and the defender’s comments suggest he remains hopeful of being involved. However, with only a few days available for recovery, Liverpool’s medical staff will need to assess how he responds to treatment.

The situation also raises the question of whether Iraola might consider resting his captain, particularly given his considerable workload for club and country.

Van Dijk, however, made it clear that he has no desire to sit on the sidelines.

“Do you think I want a rest?” he responded when asked about the possibility.

The defender also stressed the importance of Liverpool responding quickly to Sunday’s disappointing result, with another important fixture approaching.

“Of course, I’m disappointed, I don’t like losing whatsoever, especially at home, but I know in three days everyone expects us to perform again so we have to be ready and that’s the responsibility we have.”

Liverpool were already without Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo against City, and Iraola has admitted that it will be difficult for any of the three to recover in time for Wednesday.

Szoboszlai was a late omission following concerns over his fitness after international duty, while Isak and Gakpo have been dealing with thigh and ankle problems respectively. Although the injuries are not currently considered serious, the limited recovery time makes their involvement against LASK unlikely.

The Reds also remain without longer-term absentees Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Vitezslav Jaros, further limiting Iraola’s options during a demanding period of the season.

Should Van Dijk be unavailable, Joe Gomez could provide an alternative in central defence, while Ronald Araujo is another option for the position.

Liverpool must also prepare for Saturday’s Premier League visit to Brentford, when Ryan Gravenberch will be unavailable through suspension following his dismissal against Manchester City.

For now, Van Dijk has not been ruled out of the LASK fixture, and there has been no announcement from Liverpool suggesting the calf problem is anything more serious than the knock described by the player himself.

Nevertheless, with the club already struggling for available personnel, Iraola will be hoping his captain responds positively to treatment before the squad travels to Austria.