‘I’m not a robot’: Virgil van Dijk warns full recovery will take some time

Van Dijk has played every minute of all eight Premier League matches so far, although he was rested for two Champions League ties against AC Milan and Porto as manager Jurgen Klopp was cautious not to overload his defensive linchpin

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk knows he is being scrutinised on his return from a serious knee injury but insists he is “playing with joy” (Martin Rickett/PA)

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk knows he is being closely watched to see how well he has recovered from knee surgery but feels he still has plenty of room for improvement.

It is exactly a year to the day since the Netherlands captain was given the diagnosis by a specialist he would require an operation on an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee, after a challenge by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the Merseyside derby, and his season was over.