Virgil van Dijk has made an early return to Liverpool from international duty with the Netherlands ahead of their Premier League clash with Southampton on Sunday.
Van Dijk To Captain His Country In Midweek
Ronald Koeman’s side travel to Bosnia on Tuesday night, where Van Dijk had been expected to captain the team once more following their 4-0 win over Hungary on Saturday.
The Netherlands have already secured their progress to the quarter-finals of the Nations League ahead of their last group game, with Koeman opting to release Van Dijk and midfielder Frenkie de Jong on ‘medical grounds’ and allow them to return to their respective football clubs.
Neither player is thought to be currently injured and their withdrawal is simply just to manage their workloads, with Koeman in his recent press conference telling the media that the ‘interests of the players come first’.
Liverpool’s captain appeared to be in good shape as he played the full 90 minutes against Hungary for the Netherlands on Saturday.
Van Dijk Return Offers Boost for Liverpool and Slot
The Liverpool centre-back has been one of the most vital pieces of the cog under new manager Arne Slot this season.
He has played every minute of their Premier League and Champions League campaigns so far this season – with the Reds topping the table in both competitions.
Questions were raised before the international break over whether the Reds could sustain their excellent early form with a number of tough games.
Van Dijk, who has put together a formidable partnership with Frenchman Ibrahima Konate this campaign, proved a rock in defence as Liverpool beat the likes of Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen, Brighton and Aston Villa – while also earning a point at the Emirates against Arsenal.
Next up is a trip to the south coast to play bottom of the table Southampton, in a game that the Reds are highly expected to walk away with the three points.
A Tough Period Ahead For Liverpool
After that though comes their toughest week of the season so far, as they host both Manchester City and Real Madrid in the space of four days.
Wins over Southampton and Man City would mean they have a eight-point gap at the minimum over the reigning champions – which would be a huge mountain to overcome for Pep Guardiola’s side.
A fresh Van Dijk is just what Slot will have ordered ahead of their upcoming hectic schedule.
Liverpool have acknowledged Van Dijk’s withdrawal from the Dutch squad in a statement which read: ‘The centre-back has departed the Dutch camp ahead of their UEFA Nations League tie at Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Van Dijk skippered his country to a 4-0 win over Hungary in Amsterdam on Saturday evening that confirmed their qualification to the Nations League quarter-finals before the next match.
“He will return to the AXA Training Centre this week for assessment ahead of the Reds’ campaign resuming with a trip to Southampton on Saturday.”
