It's claimed Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk gave Jordan Pickford the cold shoulder following an apology for a tackle that resulted in a serious injury.
Saturday should've marked Liverpool's final Premier League trip to Goodison Park before Everton's new stadium opens next season, but the game was postponed due to bad weather. A new date for the Merseyside Derby hasn't been provided yet.
Van Dijk knows Goodison Park well after suffering an ACL injury at the ground in 2020. The incident occurred during the Merseyside Derby when Everton goalkeeper Pickford collided with Van Dijk's knee, forcing him off the pitch. This injury saw the Dutch defender miss the remainder of the 2020/21 season and his chance to lead the Netherlands in Euro 2020.
According to the Liverpool ECHO, Van Dijk rejected Pickford's attempts to assist him back onto his feet after the collision. It's believed Sadio Mane, the former Liverpool star, told the England goalkeeper to "go away".
The controversy was heightened as Pickford escaped punishment due to being offside at the time of the collision. Jurgen Klopp expressed his confusion over the lack of penalty, stating post-match: "It's not good. Virgil plays with pain but he couldn't play on. Not good."
He further commented on Pickford's challenge, saying: "Pickford kicks him completely. I need to watch it back. I've seen the disallowed goal at the end and in the picture I saw it wasn't offside. Can someone explain that to me?"
After Van Dijk's return the following season, he chose not to dwell on the horror challenge, acknowledging his undiminished bravery in tackles. "My injury was caused by a kick," he explained.
"It wasn't a moment when nobody was around. Actually, that made it a bit easier mentally to go all the way. Sometimes it is at the back of your mind, but it is not something that really concerns me. It's certainly not like I'm afraid to go into a duel."