Van Dijk updates fans on his rehab after filmed cycling on an exercise bike

Virgil van Dijk has provided Liverpool fans with another promising update on his recovery from his knee injury as he posted a video montage of himself doing sprints on an exercise bike.

The centre-back, who suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury from Jordan Pickford's horrendous challenge on him earlier this season in the Merseyside derby, has stepped up his rehab in recent weeks to give fans a glimmer of hope over a return this season.

Days before Christmas, Van Dijk shared footage from his rehabilitation which involved work in the weights room to strengthen his ligaments again while he was also filmed kicking a ball.

Now, just a few days before the new year, the Dutchman took to Instagram to show some footage of himself doing interval training on a Watt bike in a bid to speed up his recovery.

Van Dijk has been taking advantage of Liverpool's new state-of-the-art AXA training centre in Kirkby, which cost £50million for the Reds to construct.

Liverpool have always refused to rule Van Dijk out for the rest of the season and there will be faint optimism that he could work his way back by the end of the campaign.

It would be an impressive feat if he managed it as anterior cruciate ligament injuries are notoriously laborious to recover from.

Despite his absence, Liverpool are top of the Premier League going into the new year, having created a three-point gap to second-place Leicester who have a game in hand.

Van Dijk is among a number of absentees, including centre-back partner Joe Gomez with Thiago Alcantara also a big name sidelined.

Jurgen Klopp's injury woes worsened earlier this week after Joel Matip – the club's only recognised centre-back – pulled up with a groin injury in the draw against West Brom on Sunday.

Matip had a scan on Tuesday to determine the severity of the groin issue.