There are so many different stages to making a comeback from a huge injury, but Virgil van Dijk’s recovery appears to be going well.
Initially, it’s all about actually letting the body heal and building up the strength to run again, while it’s then about actually making the movements required in a game of football and hoping that goes well.
The final stage is building match fitness but also regaining that confidence in your body to make it through a game, and it appears that the Liverpool star is now poised to make his playing comeback:
Virgil van Dijk could make his return from long-term injury in Liverpool's pre-season friendly against Hertha Berlin on Thursday
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) July 26, 2021
This may be a surprise to some as it was initially thought that this would come too early, but the report quotes Jurgen Klopp as saying that the defender may be fine for a few minutes at the end of the game.
Clearly he’s still some way off actually starting a game or two every week at the highest level, but if he can get through this then he can finally start to build up to playing regular football again.
Van dijk is who we need to lift a trophy this season