Virgil Van Dyck broke his silence after a horror treatment from Jordan Pickford that left him in need of surgery.

The Liverpool The defender faces a playable battle again this season as he prepares to go out under the knife to deal with a serious ACL injury.

Van Dijk lasted only 11 minutes from the Merseyside derby on Saturday after a wild Pickford lunge knocked him out of the penalty area and forced him to pull back.

He is now facing a long period on the sidelines but he is taking it Twitter To deliver an update to his fans.

“I met this afternoon with a prominent advisor to start the process of planning the finer details of my rehabilitation after yesterday’s accident,” Van Dyck wrote.

Virgil Van Dyck vowed to return stronger than his injury

“I am now completely focused on my recovery and will do everything I can to get back as quickly as possible.

“Despite my apparent disappointment, I am a firm believer that opportunities lie in difficulty and with God’s help I will make sure I am back better, fitter and stronger than ever.

“In football, as in life, I think everything happens for a reason and it is important to maintain a balance whether you are going through the highs or the lows.

“With the support of my wife, children, family and everyone at Liverpool, I am ready for the next challenge.

“I would like to thank everyone for the messages of support, it means a great deal to me and my family, and I will now do everything in my power to support my teammates in any way I can before a big few weeks as I take my recovery day in and day out. I’ll be back.”

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Liverpool has yet to announce further details about the extent of Van Dijk’s injury, or the expected timeframe in which he will be sidelined.

Several of his Liverpool team-mates have sent messages of support to the center-back on social media.

Reds captain Jordan Henderson was among them, writing: “The comeback is always stronger than the setback … Get back well brother, we’ll be waiting for you.”

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