Virgil van Dijk came off at half-time with Liverpool 2-0 down at Brentford after a hamstring problem
Virgil van Dijk taken off at half-time with Liverpool 2-0 down at Brentford as Jurgen Klopp makes three changes on 45 minutes – before Liverpool boss says post-match that the Dutch defender has a hamstring problem
- Virgil van Dijk one of three Liverpool players taken off at half-time vs Brentford
- Jurgen Klopp’s side were 2-0 down at the Bees after 45 minutes of action
- Liverpool finished on the receiving end of a 3-1 result at Thomas Frank’s Bees
- Klopp confirmed a hamstring problem, which saw van Dijk’s leg strapped up
- Jamie Carragher said it was an ‘unacceptable’ first half showing from the Reds
- Harvey Elliott and Konstantinos Tsimikas were also substituted at half-time
Virgil van Dijk was withdrawn while Liverpool were 2-0 down at half-time at Brentford on Monday – and after the defeat, Jurgen Klopp confirmed it was a hamstring problem.
It was a shambolic first-half showing from the Reds, which saw them concede from an Ibrahima Konate own goal and then Yoane Wissa’s strike for the Bees.
The London club ended up as 3-1 winners over their Merseyside rivals as both sides played their first Premier League action of 2023.
Virgil van Dijk was one of three players taken off at half-time in Liverpool’s match at Brentford
Klopp was not impressed with the first 45 minutes, and made a trio of substitutions, including taking off 31-year-old captain Van Dijk.
Harvey Elliott, who was booked in the first 10 minutes, and Konstantinos Tsimikas were the other two players taken off at half-time.
Speaking on Sky Sports during the interval, Jamie Carragher said: ‘Could have been anyone. It could have been five. He had to make changes because that was an unacceptable 45 minutes.’
On the Liverpool skipper, Carragher added: ‘It will be interesting to see if that’s an injury or if he has just came off because he has struggled.’
Jurgen Klopp’s second half additions were Andrew Robertson, Naby Keita and Joel Matip
After the match, the manager confirmed that Van Dijk had been removed from the action because of a right hamstring injury. As the second half played out, he was on the bench with his leg strapped up.
The German gaffer told Sky Sports: ‘Van Dijk had some treatment on the hamstring, the other two subs were some fresh legs, different skill sets as well.’
Klopp’s second-half additions were Naby Keita, Joel Matip, and Andrew Robertson – with the latter man taking on the armband for the remainder of the match.
The manager’s actions seemed to work in Liverpool’s favour, as they clawed one back in the 50th minute through Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The Liverpool captain watched the second half from the bench with strapping on his right leg
However, Bryan Mbeumo scored with six minutes to play, regaining Brentford’s two-goal cushion after the pair of first-half goals.
The Bees also had the ball in the net an additional two times in the first half, but those attempts were ruled out for offside.
Liverpool’s defeat left them in sixth place in the Premier League, and are now just two points clear of Brentford, who rose to seventh.
Former Southampton centre-back van Dijk has made 145 appearances for Liverpool since joining them in 2018, and featured in the heart of the Dutch defence at the 2022 World Cup.
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