Pundit Exclusive: Van Dijk tipped for sensational Liverpool return 6 months early
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk could make a sensational return from injury six months ahead of schedule, according to Paul Robinson.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider correspondent Dylan Childs, the former England international hailed the club's medical team for aiding the 29-year-old in his "ridiculously quick" recovery.
The talismanic centre-half has been sidelined since October with an ACL injury that was expected to rule him until the start of next season in August.
The footage showed the Netherlands captain kicking a ball for the first time since the injury as he steps up his rehabilitation from knee surgery.
Virgil van Dijk has been an integral part of a Jurgen Klopp side that has won the Champions League and Premier League over the past 18 months.
When asked by Football Insider for his assessment of the latest footage from Kirkby, Robinson said: "He is recovering ridiculously quick.
"It was a very severe injury that he suffered so to come back so quickly shows you how fit he is.
"To see him kicking a ball around is fantastic for Liverpool fans.
"The medical staff around him deserve a lot of credit because they have clearly done a superb job.
"But it is a very serious one. They will be monitoring him closely and making sure he is not rushed back too quickly.
"He is clearly a quick healer and his recovery time will therefore be shorter than expected. Even if he came back in three months time, in March, that would have been an early recovered but it looks likely that he could be back at the end of February."