Everyone seems to forget that Liverpool's first 9 league games without van Dijk they went W6 D3 L0, GS: 25, GC: 6, GD: +19.
Compared to their previous 15 league games before that Everton game, both in project restart and the start of this season starting with Watford away and they were at P15 W9 D2 L4 GS: 32, GC: 27, GD: +5.
so even with van Dijk their form was on the decline and they actually had a bounce back resurgence without him, so this injury is just an excuse and a myth that it's finished them off.