Pain will not have been Virgil van Dijk’s biggest enemy this week. Whatever discomfort he has felt in the days since his cruciate ligament tore, he will have found a way to manage it.
Medical departments can work wonders to ensure you don’t physically suffer immediately after a big injury but they cannot help with the worries that cloud your mind or answer the questions that began to swirl around your head. Nobody can.
My heart is with Van Dijk. I’d like to think I’m enthusiastic about almost all areas of football but the moment I have to discuss a long-term injury, I find myself heading into a different zone.