Virgil van Dijk is back in light training at Liverpool.

The Daily Mail says he is facing a fight to play again this season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the Merseyside derby last month following his now infamous collision with Jordan Pickford.

After having surgery, Van Dijk confirmed on October 18 that he’d finalised his rehabilitation plan with a knee specialist and the Holland international has now commenced low impact training ahead of his return with a view to preparing his body for the second, more intense, phase of rehab.

The news will come as a significant boost to the Premier League champions, who are in the midst of a defensive injury crisis.

There is no indication yet over whether Virgil Van Dijk is ahead of schedule in terms of his return, but the fact their talismanic defender has started recovery training will be encouraging for Liverpool.