Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk might not be available for the Liverpool football club until the last day of the 2021-2022 Premier League campaign or in the final of the UEFA Champions League.
The two football stars sustained injuries during the FA Cup final game between Liverpool and Chelsea at the Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 14. Fortunately for them, Liverpool won the title 6-5 via penalties.
Ahead of Liverpool’s 37th Premier League game of the season which is against Southampton later today, May 17, 2022, at 19:45, Liverpool’s coach Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will not be available for the league game due to fitness issues.
Recall that Mohamed Salah was forced out of the FA Cup match in the first half of the final due to a groin problem. Virgil van Dijk followed suit as he was pulled out in the second half of the match due to a knee injury. Fortunately for Liverpool, Chelsea could not capitalize on the absence of the two important players.
During the pre-match press conference for the must-win Premier League game between Southampton and Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp confirmed that he is confident that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk would be available for the game against Wolves on May 22, 2022, at 16:00 which is the last game of the Premier League campaign this season.
“The target is they could be involved again at the weekend,” Jurgen Klopp said.
“It’s very positive. We’re realistic about the Wolves game, but for tomorrow, [we’d] rather not.”
🗣 "The target for both is that they could be involved again on the weekend."
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 17, 2022
Jurgen Klopp reveals Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will both be unavailable for Liverpool's game against Southampton this evening. pic.twitter.com/hqYdxaTei2
How important are Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk at Liverpool?
Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are arguably the most reverend players in the current Liverpool’s first team.
Virgil van Dijk is the assistant captain of Liverpool and the most reliable center-back at the club who can keep the defense line clean and still contribute to the club’s attack.
So far in the 2021-2022 season, Van Dijk has played 50 games in all competitions in which he scored 3 goals and provided five assists. The 30-year-old Dutch center-back has until June 30, 2025, before his contract with Liverpool expires.
On the other hand, Mohamed Salah is the talisman of the Premier League club. The 29-year-old Egyptian right-back is currently the highest goalscorer in the Premier League with 22 league goals in 34 league matches. He has also provided 14 assists in the league.
In all competitions this season, Salah is seen as a major Ballon d’Or contender who has scored 30 goals and provided 16 assists in 49 games in all competitions. His contract with Liverpool will expire on June 30, 2023.
Coach Jurgen Klopp would be hoping that Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk would be perfectly fit before the UEFA Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid in Paris on May 28, 2022. The match will kick off at 20:00.
How Important is the Premier League game between Liverpool and Southampton
Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will miss one of the biggest Premier League games of the season which could determine the winner of the 2021-2022 league campaign.
Liverpool are going into the league game with 86 points in 36 games and are the second-placed team on the league table. They are four points behind first-place Manchester City with 90 points in 37 games.
As it stands, if Southampton which have a 12 percent chance of defeating Liverpool, manage to win the league game, Manchester City will be confirmed champions of the league. But if Liverpool win, City and coach Jurgen Klopp’s boys will go into the final game of the season with just a point separating the two rivals.
If that happens, Manchester City must beat Aston Villa on May 22 to lift the Premier League title and Liverpool must beat Wolves on the same date to stand a chance of winning the title if City slip.
