The ongoing hysteria surrounding Virgil van Dijk's absence just epitomises the reputation he's solidified at Liverpool.

The Dutchman's ACL injury ruled him out for the majority of the season. Beyond that, the question will be whether he's quite as imperious when he returns. 

Many consider the Reds defender to be the best centre-back in world football right now and he's certainly in the conversation regarding the greatest Premier League defender of all time.

Cast the net a little wider to the other top European leagues, and you have to give some serious thought to the likes of Sergio Ramos and Kalidou Koulibaly. 

It's far from cut and dried who can truly boast supremacy over their contemporaries, but fortunately we have FourFourTwo who have given a good go at ranking the 10 best current centre-backs.

It's little surprise who takes top spot, but there's room for debate further down the list. 

John Stones deserves huge credit for turning things around at Manchester City, but it's definitely a bold claim to rank him eighth - though it's taking into account his ability on the ball more than his defensive clout. 

10. Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)

9. Gerard Pique (Barcelona)

8. John Stones (Manchester City)

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7. Harry Maguire (Manchester United)

6. Milan Skriniar (Inter)

5. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

4. Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)

3. Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)

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2. Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)

1. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Van Dijk pips Koulibaly, Raphael Varane and Aymeric Laporte to number one. Laporte could bolster his credentials if he had more of an international career to fall back on. 

Ramos is only fifth, but he is now 34 and is whittling down his contract at Real Madrid. In terms of honours, his career could easily be described as the most accomplished. 

Giorgio Chiellini's domestic success is also a major factor for his listing, even if the Champions League continues to elude Juventus, while Milan Skriniar makes it in as something of a dark horse. 

The Inter defender has reportedly been targeted by a number of Premier League clubs, including Tottenham.

But ultimately, few can have any complaints about Van Dijk reigning over the rest of the world's top centre-backs - even from the treatment table.