Former Liverpool player Alberto Aquilani has insisted that one of the many reasons for the Reds' poor form this season has been due to the fact that they miss the presence of captain and key player Virgil van Dijk. The Netherlands international defender has not played for the club since picking up a knee injury earlier in the season against Liverpool after getting involved in a collision with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Liverpool are currently in shambles and have been a shadow of the side that breezed past the other teams in the league to clinch the Premier League trophy last season. They have endured such a poor form that they find it hard to score goals and stop teams from scoring as well. The Reds have lost their last four hike games in a row - for the first time in over 40 years, as their woeful form in the League continues.

And Aquilani has now insisted that the club have suffered a lot in the absence of their defensive maestro and must do well to adapt to playing without him till at least when he returns from his long-term injury. Speaking to TalkSport, Aquilani said it is not easy losing a player as good as Van Dijk for such a long time and there were always bound to be signs that would tell that they are missing their key man. He however said they should not be complacent and instead try to stand up to the occasion if they want to qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stages next season.

Truly, the Reds have been very unlucky with injuries this season and have at a point in this season, lost all their central defensive options to injuries, including the likes of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. Klopp will be looking forward to welcoming Van Dijk as soon as possible to bring more stability to his backline.