The Premier League title would be dedicated to Liverpool FC’s injured defensive colossal Virgil van Dijk should the Merseysiders be crowned the top-flight champions for the second time in a row, said Roberto Firmino.
Van Dijk’s injury in the Merseyside derby in October, which later diagnosis confirmed as an ACL issue, meant that the Dutch international defender was on course to miss the remainder of the 2020-21 season.
The 29-year-old’s long-term absence is a major blow for the Reds’ title-defence plans, however, Firmino believes that the Champions of England still have a great number of players at its disposal to maintain the momentum for back-to-back Premier League crowns.
“The injury to Virgil van Dijk was a real shame because he is not only an important player on the field for us but also in the dressing room,” said Firmino, as quoted by The Mirror.
“We all miss him of course and the squad wants to dedicate the successes we achieve this campaign to him.
“I think we have shown that we have a great squad of players,” he said. “So, our target remains the same.
“It is true, of course, that this season is very unusual. You cannot ignore that because of the players missing with Coronavirus and in our case with injuries too. I think this will level up the competition a lot for the rest of the season and make it even more difficult to win the title.
“But our challenge is to be champions again. So, we have to keep our options open at the top of the table and be ready for a long campaign.”
As Jurgen Klopp’s men sit joint top in the Premier League standings, the visit to Craven Cottage on Sunday would come as a must-win game for the Reds to extend their lead over Tottenham Hotspurs before the two giants meet next weekend at Anfield.
