Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp discusses the form and fitness of Virgil van Dijk and Fabinho

Jurgen Klopp says he will give Virgil van Dijk plenty of time to get back to to his Liverpool best as he talked up the improvements made by Fabinho in recent weeks.

Van Dijk returned to the side in last week’s 2-0 win at Newcastle but was also part of the starting lineup that lost 5-2 to Real Madrid on Tuesday night as the Reds shipped five in a European game for the first time at home.

Prior to his comeback at St James’ Park last Saturday, Netherlands captain Van Dijk had sat out the previous seven-and-a-half games after being withdrawn at half time of the 3-1 loss at Brentford on January 2.

Klopp says he has no worries about the £75m defender returning to his best form over time, saying: “I think differently because I give people time.

Klopp says he has no worries about the £75m defender returning to his best form over time, saying: “I think differently because I give people time.

“But again, it’s fine. It’s part of the whole show that we get judged. It’s completely normal that people do that. We played two good games and you will write ‘best Virgil van Dijk ever.'”

Fabinho was restored to the Liverpool team himself for the 2-0 win against Everton on February 13 after a noticeable dip in form saw him begin three successive games on the substitutes’ bench.

“It took a while but I think Fabinho is now completely different to what we saw four or five weeks ago,” Klopp added. “We have to keep that going now.

“It’s like [he is playing at] 80% but he was not at all a problem in the game (against Real Madrid), he looked a lot better but had to play a lot. So it is not like click click click he is back, play on, these kinds of things, because we have plenty of No6s.

“Stefan Bajectic can play it, Jordan Henderson can play it, but when Fabinho is at his best, it is really important to have him there because he sorts or used to sort a lot of situations for us. That was fine in these last few games.

“‘Did Fabinho come back from an injury?’ No! It can just happen. A drop in form and no-one expected and you look at it and think ‘OK, it is interesting to watch’. But yes, everything needs time in a business when there is no time. That’s the problem.

“In the good moments, nobody is thinking about this stuff, everything is just clicking, flying, bam bam bam and the ball from Alisson hits Vinicius Junior and goes into the stands instead of in the net.

“And then we talk new about how this game develops but it is the moment. I was not surprised when the ball went in, let me say it like this. But I see light and that is why I am not in such a bad mood.”