Virgil van Dijk sends support to Conor Bradley after Liverpool captain's ordeal

The Liverpool skipper can relate with long-term knee issues, and writing ahead of the Barnsley FA Cup tie, said the incident "soured the evening" at the Emirates last week

Virgil van Dijk has sent his support to Conor Bradley after the right-back's recent injury(Image: )

Virgil van Dijk has said he will help support Conor Bradley through his long-term knee injury.

The Northern Irishman is expected to miss the remainder of the campaign after suffering the blow in last week’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal and will undergo surgery this week after suffering both bone and ligament damage.

It leaves Liverpool light on defensive options for the remainder of the season, as was the case in the 2020/21 campaign, when Van Dijk suffered an ACL injury that kept him out for the majority of the season. Therefore, the Liverpool skipper is best placed to offer advice to his injured team-mate.

Writing in Monday’s matchday program ahead of the FA Cup tie vs Barnsley, Van Dijk reflected on the Arsenal encounter and sent his best wishes to Bradley.

“It is always a privilege to play at Anfield, and we return to our home tonight with a straightforward aim: to deliver a performance everyone associated with the club can be proud of,” wrote the 34-year-old.

“We will never be fully satisfied with a draw, even away from home against a top opponent, but I think we could take a lot of positives from Thursday's Premier League game at Arsenal.

“Sadly, I have to start with the negative side. The injury suffered by Conor Bradley in the closing stages of the match soured the evening for us all. I am sure you will all join me in wishing Conor a full and speedy recovery. We will be there for him every step of the way.”

Conor Bradley's season is over(Image: 2026 Marc Atkins)

Van Dijk and Liverpool are also not underestimating the challenge League One Barnsley will offer at the end of an FA Cup third-round weekend that was full of shock results. Indeed, the Reds know firsthand about unexpected giant killing after crashing out to Plymouth last season.

“One of the best things about the FA Cup, of course, is its long, incredible history of upsets,” said Van Dijk.

“There have been so many occasions down the years in which a smaller team has defeated a bigger one, and that is what makes this one of the most special competitions in world football.

“Of course, we experienced that for ourselves last season, when we lost to Plymouth Argyle, and we certainly want to avoid a repeat this evening.

“Make no mistake, this will be a tough test for us. Barnsley will be coming here with a lot of motivation, they have nothing to lose in many ways, and they will have a lot of fans behind them from the first whistle to the last.

“So we all have to be ready for a proper game. It doesn't matter what competition you play in, or against which opponent, when you wear the Liverpool shirt you are expected to perform and to win.

“That is a responsibility we all take extremely seriously, and hopefully we can give you guys plenty to shout about this evening. The road to Wembley starts here.”