Virgil van Dijk sends Joel Matip message ahead of Manchester United clash

Virgil van Dijk hopes Joel Matip will be back 'stronger than ever' after the Cameroonian's season was curtailed by injury.

Matip suffered an ACL tear in Liverpool's last home outing against Fulham, with it being revealed in the days following the contest that the defender would be out for the remainder of the campaign.

With Matip in the final year of his contract, many Reds fans fear that the 32-year-old may have played his last minutes for Liverpool - a potentially cruel end to a decorated career at the club.

That said, Jurgen Klopp has hinted at a possible extension for the man who became only his second signing as Liverpool manager.

While Matip's future may lie in limbo, Reds skipper Van Dijk has pledged his support to his teammate ahead of a long rehabilitation period.

"Obviously, he got a bad injury against Fulham and we are all really disappointed for him, but we will all be there for him as he continues his recovery," Van Dijk wrote in his programme notes ahead of Liverpool's clash with Manchester United.

"As I know from experience, he will have some unbelievable people around him at the club as he puts his heart and soul into getting back to playing again, so hopefully he will come back stronger than ever."

On a brighter note, Liverpool's captain has also sung the praises of Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian reached 200 Liverpool goals last weekend, firing in a vital equaliser against Crystal Palace to hit the milestone.

Setting an example for the rest of the team, Van Dijk has hailed Salah for his incredible ability to keep on hitting the heights in red.

He added: "The good thing is we can always look within for inspiration and right now there are not too many [better] examples of this than what Mo Salah is doing this season. No matter how many goals he scores or creates, he always wants more.

"The hunger, desire and professionalism he shows sets an incredible standard and I have no doubt that now he has scored his 200th goal for Liverpool he is already setting himself new targets because that is just the way he is.

"We see it every day in training and in every single game we play. He is insatiable.

"The thing is, though, wanting to be the best that you can possibly be is one thing, putting in the hard yards to give yourself the best possible chance of achieving it is another – and Mo has done this since the first moment he arrived here.

"As captain, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his latest incredible achievement and hopefully there are many more goals still to come."