Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has issued the latest update on Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk after both players had to be taken off due to injuries during the Reds’ FA Cup final victory over Chelsea on Saturday.
With the Champions League less than a fortnight away, it was a scary sight to see Salah go down after 30 minutes on the clock after a suspected hamstring injury. The Egyptian was eventually taken off and had to be replaced by Diogo Jota while Van Dijk could not take part in extra time, as he had to be replaced by Joel Matip after 90 minutes.
Those two names are easily two of Liverpool’s most influential stars and fans were left with worrying thoughts especially about their availability for the Champions League final against Real Madrid.
Latest injury update on Salah and Van Dijk
Jurgen Klopp revealed it is more worrisome for Salah but offered more positive news on the Dutch centre back.
“Mo is a bit more [serious] than Virg,” Klopp said after the match. “Virg had little problems across the 120 minutes.”, the Reds boss said after the game.
“Mo came and I had to make a decision. He said, ‘I could carry on, but I felt a little bit.’ So I took him off. We have the squad. I hope he will be fine.”
Reacting to his own substitution, Van Dijk said: “Hopefully [I recover] well, we’re going to check it out. I felt in the first half when I sprinted, I felt a twinge behind my knee.
“I played on. [But] in the end, I can’t risk it for the team and I need to trust Joel. Hopefully it will be fine.”
Klopp praises Liverpool after FA Cup win
An historic quadruple bid is still in the works and Klopp has heaped praise on his side, with the Reds now claiming two domestic titles in the same season for the first time under his watch.
Klopp said: “That we could make it is absolutely out of this world, it’s unbelievable, it’s massive, it’s game number 60 or whatever in a very, very intense season, and putting out a performance like this is absolutely incredible. But most important – really most important – I have to say all respect to Chelsea. What a team, what a performance, in the end we all know a penalty shootout is a lottery. But we did it again.”
Salah and Van Dijk will now face a race against time to be fit for their side’s remaining Premier League games and if not, definitely for the Champions League final against Real Madrid on May 28.
