Schalke confirm long-term absence for Liverpool loanee Sepp van der Berg after latest injury
According to Liverpool Echo, German club FC Schalke 04 have confirmed that Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Berg will be out for the entire year due to a serious ligament injury.
The Dutch defender secured a late loan move to Schalke in order to secure senior first-team experience in his young career after an impressive spell with League One outfit Preston End last season.
The move for the defender was coming along nicely with the Dutchman having played four games for the club already. However, in Schalke’s 3-2 defeat to FC Augsburg, he picked a serious ligament injury while blocking a shot.
The extent of the injury has been confirmed by the German team’s sporting director Rouven Schröder.
“This is really tough news. We wish Sepp and Rodri a speedy recovery, and we will be supporting them fully during their recoveries so that they are back on the pitch as soon as possible.”
It is a blow for the young defender who has gone leaps and bounds since his £4.4m transfer to Liverpool in 2019 as part of the club’s initiative to sign young talented players with the view to integrate them into the first-team.
Sepp has already seen first-team action with Liverpool but with senior defenders in fellow Dutchman Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Nat Phillips already part of the first-team, it was highly unlikely that Sepp could get good minutes under his belt at Liverpool currently.
Sepp has already shown a glimpse of his talent with his last loan spell at Preston North End where he regularly played as the first-team centre-back and the League one outfit was keen on bringing him back.
However, Bundesliga is definitely on a higher level than England Tier II leagues and a step up for the defender, who would be coming up against top attackers.
A sustained period on the sidelines will also teach Sepp many aspects of senior-level football he has not experienced before and he would be looking to come out of his injury as a more informed individual ready to take the step up to a new league.
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Many could expect Sepp to eventually become a first-team starter for Liverpool given his rapid development over the years but for now, it is crucial that he recovers fully from the serious injury and go on to have a successful season.
