Joel Matip: I can make sure Liverpool don’t miss Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool defender Joel Matip has insisted that the club will not miss the presence of Virgil van Dijk while he is in the side.

Van Dijk’s £75m arrival from Southampton last January has coincided with an unprecedented uptick in the Reds’ defensive record under Jurgen Klopp. They have not let in a Premier League goal at Anfield since February and have conceded just twice this season, the fewest in the division.

The former Celtic and Groningen centre-back suffered a rib injury in Liverpool’s 3-0 Premier League victory over Southampton this Saturday, which forced manager Jurgen Klopp to substitute him.

Should Liverpool be worried about losing Virgil van Dijk?

It was known before the midweek win against Champions League opponents Paris Saint-Germain that Van Dijk was experiencing muscular pain in his torso.

“He already had a bruise in the ribs before the PSG game, which is very uncomfortable and he got another hit there,” Klopp told Sky Sports on Saturday.

However, the Liverpool boss played down the severity of the issue, adding: “It’s not cool but should not be too serious. It should be absolutely OK, hopefully. I didn’t hear anything different.”

Matip, who scored in his first start of the current campaign against the Saints on Saturday, may now see his spell in the side extend beyond this weekend should Van Dijk be ruled out of the Reds’ midweek League Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The 26-year-old has assured both Klopp and the supporters that although he wishes Van Dijk well and wants him back in contention as soon as possible, he feels that he is ready to step up and cover for the big defender in his absence.

“I’m ready, I will be there, but we all hope that he is fit and can play again,” said Matip, according to the Liverpool Echo.

The Cameroonian centre-back, whose 2017/19 campaign was cut short prematurely by thigh surgery, insists he is finally closing in on full fitness after damaging a separate leg muscle this summer in a 3-1 pre-season friendly defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

Matip, 27, said: “It was quite a long time with the injury but now I’m fit and in a good way. I still need some time but I’m looking forward to the next game.”

“After this long time, after this injury, it feels great to start again and to play. It was a nice feeling to be on the field [for] 90 minutes. And it was a great feeling to score my first goal here at Anfield,” the player added, after scoring his fourth goal in 72 games after arriving from Schalke in the summer of 2016 on a free transfer.

What’s next on the Liverpool fixture list?

Liverpool are currently flying high in the Premier League – having won six games out of six to climb to the top of the Premier League – and next face Chelsea in the League Cup in midweek, before taking on the Blues again at Stamford Bridge next Saturday.

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