Virgil van Dijk has backed Mohamed Salah to win his race against time to pull on the Liverpool shirt one last time before his Anfield departure.
The Egyptian superstar left the pitch in tears during the weekend victory over Crystal Palace, sparking fears that a legendary career on Merseyside has reached a premature end.
Van Dijk maintains hope for Anfield legend
The Liverpool captain is refusing to accept that Salah has already made his final appearance for the club.
Despite the grim optics of Salah limping off, Van Dijk believes the 33-year-old’s powers of recovery could see him return for the final home games.
“I hope so,” the defender said when asked if Salah would play again. “There will be a medical assessment and then that will determine what the issue is going to be. I know he is doing everything in his power to be back on the pitch as soon as possible.”
An emotional exit for the Egyptian King
The timing of the injury is particularly cruel given that Liverpool have just four matches remaining in their campaign.
With Salah set to leave when his contract expires in June, the prospect of him missing a stadium farewell is a heavy burden for the squad. Van Dijk admitted that the situation weighed on his teammate’s mind as he left the field on Saturday.
“If you get injured at this stage of the season, especially in the situation he is in, there is only two more home games left for him it’s a combination of feelings that go through your mind when you go off,” Van Dijk explained.
“The reality is he has to get scanned, assessed, hopefully he won’t be long but at this point I don’t know. Maybe he’s back next week, maybe not. I have no idea.”
A guaranteed send-off regardless of fitness
Salah’s legacy at Anfield is already set in stone, with 257 goals in 440 appearances making him the third-highest scorer in the club’s history.
Regardless of whether he wins his fitness battle, Van Dijk is certain that the supporters will give the three-time PFA Player of the Year the tribute he deserves for his trophy-laden nine-year stay.
“He will get the send-off regardless,” Van Dijk added. “I don’t think that is the thing at this point, we shouldn’t think too far ahead. Knowing Mo he is a quick healer with the right people around us and let’s see.”
Reds looking to secure Champions League football
Aside from the concern over Salah, Liverpool’s victory over Palace was a positive step toward securing Champions League qualification.
The win allowed the Reds to climb to fourth in the Premier League table, trailing Manchester United only on goals scored, although their arch-rivals still have one game in hand. While Salah’s potential absence looms large, the captain was quick to praise others who stepped up,
“It is important for Alex to get goals as a striker and it was a great goal,” the Dutch national said.
“In terms of what I’ve seen of him, everyone knows and sees and experiences as teammates how outstanding he is. It is about getting games, confidence, but obviously scoring goals as a striker – that’s the main trigger for him,” Van Djik added.
“I’m not worried at all about him whatsoever. We want more than goals from him and that’s what he can bring, and he just has to keep going and keep working, keep staying fit and keep staying important for the football club because I think he will and he already is.”
