Klopp: Van Dijk still has 'long way to go'

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says Van Dijk is making progress in his recovery from a knee injury but admits the defender still has a "long way to go" in his rehabilitation.

The Netherlands international underwent surgery after sustaining ligament damage in the Merseyside derby in October but posted an update on social media last week showing him stepping up his recovery with a session on an exercise bike.

Klopp, who is also without defenders Joel Matip and Joe Gomez, is happy to see Van Dijk making progress but admitted the nature of the 29-year-old's injury means he still has work to do in his recovery.

"Good, very good. I have no problem with talking about Virgil van Dijk. It's very good but still a long way to go, that's this kind of injury," Klopp said.

"I'm happy when I see these videos, to be honest, because it just shows that he makes good progress. But it will still take a lot of time, that's how it is. I would like to say something else but these are the facts, unfortunately."