Klopp suggests Van Dijk could be ready for Hertha Berlin cameo; Gomez ‘is very close’

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Virgil van Dijk could be in contention for some minutes on the playing field in Liverpool’s upcoming pre-season clash against Hertha Berlin, as tweeted by James Carroll.

As elaborated on liverpoolfc.com, Joe Gomez wouldn’t be much further away in his recovery, with an appearance in the following pre-season clash a possibility.

“I hope, I am not sure, that there is the opportunity that Virgil could play a few minutes,” Jurgen Klopp told liverpoolfc.com.

“He looks really good in training and maybe we can bring [him in], but I need to have some final conversations. He looks ready and we will see.

“If you see the games now as part of their rehab training, that makes sense.

“Joey is very close. There is no race between the two of them; they had different injuries and stuff like this, but [he is] very close.

“If Virgil can play now 20 then probably Joey can in the game after. We will see. In training they both look really good.”

The Dutch international’s 2020/21 campaign was cut short following a ruthless challenge by Jordan Pickford in the Merseyside derby in October, with the latter picking up an injury on international duty.

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With the German having stated his unwillingness to risk either of his first-choice centre-back duo following the 1-0 win over Mainz, it’s a significant amount of progress shown from the defenders in question.

Further to the point, it’s a huge boost ahead of the start of our impending campaign, as we have greatly missed their contributions last term.

Even if only a short cameo, the pair’s availability against Hertha Berlin would potentially suggest that a return to full action against Norwich would not be entirely unlikely.

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