Virgil van Dijk on Mohamed Salah’s injury: I don’t know

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There are moments in football when the most honest answer is also the most unsettling one.Virgil van Dijk delivered exactly that on Monday morning when asked about the injury Mohamed Salah sustained during Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Anfield.The Liverpool captain did not offer false reassurance.He did not talk up a swift return.He simply said what every Liverpool supporter is quietly dreading, that nobody knows yet, and that the clock is ticking.Salah was forced off in the second half on Saturday after pulling up with a muscle issue, clutching the back of his left leg before being replaced by Jeremie Frimpong.He took a long, deliberate walk around the perimeter of the Anfield pitch before leaving, applauding every section of the ground in a moment that felt far heavier than a routine substitution.The Egyptian national team’s technical director Ibrahim Hassan added to the concern on Sunday, claiming publicly that Salah had suffered a muscle tear and was facing four weeks on the sideline — a timeline that, if accurate, would effectively end his Liverpool career without a proper farewell.Van Dijk was measured but candid when addressing the situation.“I hope so,” he said when asked whether Salah would play again this season.“There will be a medical assessment and then that will determine what the issue is going to be.”“I know he is doing everything in his power to be back on the pitch as soon as possible.”The Liverpool captain acknowledged just how loaded this moment is, given the circumstances surrounding Salah’s departure.“If you get injured at this stage of the season, especially in the situation he is in, there are only two more home games left for him — it’s a combination of feelings that go through your mind when you go off,” Van Dijk said.“The reality is he has to get scanned, assessed, hopefully he won’t be long, but at this point I don’t know.”“Maybe he’s back next week, maybe not.”“I have no idea.”Those words — “I have no idea” — land differently when you consider the full picture.Salah announced in March that he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of this season despite his contract running until 2027.He has made 440 appearances for the club, scoring 257 goals to become the third highest scorer in Liverpool’s history behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.This season alone he has contributed 21 direct goal involvements in 38 appearances, functioning as the team’s most dangerous and consistent attacking outlet right up until the moment he went down on Saturday.Liverpool have four games remaining — Manchester United away on May 3, Chelsea at home on May 9, Aston Villa away on May 17, and Brentford at home on May 24.The Brentford fixture was always earmarked as the occasion for Salah’s farewell, the game where Anfield would give one of its greatest ever players the send-off he deserves.That scenario is now genuinely in doubt.Van Dijk, to his credit, refused to treat the send-off as a lost cause.“He will get the send-off regardless,” the captain said.“I don’t think that is the thing at this point, we shouldn’t think too far ahead.”“Knowing Mo he is a quick healer with the right people around us and let’s see.”It was a measured and loyal thing to say.But between the lines, even Van Dijk’s optimism carried the weight of uncertainty.Liverpool are waiting on scan results.The fans are waiting on scan results.And somewhere, Mohamed Salah is doing everything in his power to make sure Saturday was not the last time he wore that shirt.Whether that is enough remains to be seen. Mohamed Salah Virgil van Dijk