Everton coach Carlo Ancelotti defended his team’s player,
Jordan Pickford, on Thursday, after criticizing the goalkeeper
for his role in a serious injury to Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dyck.
Van Dyck, one of the most important Liverpool players, is
expected to be absent for months after an injury to the cruciate
ligaments of his right knee, during contact with Pickford in
the Merseyside derby on Saturday.
Liverpool midfielder Giorgio Wijnaldum described the Pickford
tackle as stupid, and said the goalkeeper “didn’t care what
happened” when he clashed with Van Dyck.
In response to the incident, Ancelotti said Beckford was “very
sad and frustrated” with Van Dyck’s injury.
“I think it was a collision that happened at a bad time. The idea
that the team is very fast, it is not impossible to arrive a little
late. This is happening. He arrived a little late, but his intention
was to try to catch the ball and not to hurt Virgil van Dyck.”
“Reuters” quoted Ancelotti as saying that the criticism of
Beckford was “too severe,” adding, “saying that it was
deliberate and stupid is not fair.”
