Virgil van Dijk's Netherlands kick-off their 2022 World Cup campaign this afternoon when they take on Senegal at the Al-Thumama Stadium.
The Liverpool defender will take part in his first ever major tournament aged 31, after missing the European Championships with an ACL injury, and captains a Dutch side who are favourites to progress from Group A. Fellow group stage rivals Ecuador opened up the tournament with a comfortable 2-0 win over hosts Qatar yesterday.
Today's meeting with Senegal us arguably the toughest fixture on paper, but the absence of Sadio Mane through injury has come as a huge blow to Aliou Cisse's side, and van Dijk himself admitted last week that he felt sorry for his former Reds teammate.
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When is the match?
The Netherlands will face Senegal today, Monday November 21, with kick-off at 4pm.
The match will be staged at the 40,000-capacity Al-Thumama Stadium.
Is it on TV?
Yes, the match will be shown live on ITV 1, with host Laura Woods leading the buildup from 3pm. Coverage can also be streamed on the ITV Hub and app.
Early team news
The main news from the buildup to this fixture is that Virgil van Dijk - along with several other national team captains - will not longer wear the OneLove armband after push back from FIFA.
A joint statement from the Football Associations of England, Wales, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands said that FIFA would impose sanctions on players who wore the armbands on the field of play, adding that they are 'very frustrated' with the decision.
As previously mentioned, Senegal will be without their talisman, former Reds star Mane, after he required surgery on an injury picked up while playing for Bayern Munich. The 30-year-old posted an emotional message on his Facebook earlier, thanking well-wishers for their support and showing his support for his country.
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