Injury to van Dijk has left Pickford really sad, says Ancelotti
London [UK], October 22 (ANI): Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has said the injury suffered by Liverpool's defender Virgil van Dijk has left goalkeeper Jordon Pickford really sad.
Van Dijk had suffered an injury during Liverpool's Premier League clash against Everton last week. Liverpool on Sunday had said Van Dijk will be undergoing knee surgery as he sustained an injury during Saturday's 2-2 draw against Everton.
The centre-back had damaged knee ligaments following an incident involving Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford after six minutes at Goodison Park on Saturday. Van Dijk was required to be substituted and further assessment of the injury revealed that an operation will be needed.
"To be clear, we are really sorry for the injury of Virgil van Dijk. Every one of us hopes he can recover soon and well. There was this contact with Jordan Pickford: it was mistimed contact. But the fact the Premier League is so fast, it is not so difficult to arrive a little bit later," the official website of Everton quoted Ancelotti as saying.
"Jordan arrived a little bit later but his intention was to try to reach the ball. It was not to hurt Virgil van Dijk. To say it was premeditated, and this and that, in my opinion, is too much. Virgil van Dijk knows this. Jordan is really sad, really disappointed [that he is injured]. It was a strong contact, maybe mistimed, but sometimes in football, it can happen," he added.
Van Dijk had taken to Twitter on Sunday, saying: "This afternoon I met with a leading consultant to start the process of planning the finer details of my rehabilitation following the incident yesterday. I'm now fully focused on my recovery and will do everything I can to be back as quickly as possible. Despite the obvious disappointment, I'm a firm believer that within difficulty lies opportunity and with God's help I'm going to make sure I return better, fitter, and stronger than ever before."
"In football, as in life, I believe everything happens for a reason and it's important to try and keep level-headed whether going through the highs or the lows. With the support of my wife, kids, family, and everyone at Liverpool, I'm ready for the challenge ahead," he added.
Liverpool and Everton had played out a 2-2 draw in the Premier League on Saturday. For Liverpool, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah scored the goals while Michael Keane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin netted the ball into the goalpost for Everton.
Liverpool is currently at the second spot in the Premier League 2020-21 standings with 10 points from 5 matches. Liverpool will return to Premier League with a game against Sheffield United on Saturday, October 24. (ANI)
