Virgil van Dijk’s fitness has raised concerns this week following his early return from international duty, and it appears the situation may be more serious than initially believed.
Initially, Liverpool fans welcomed the news of the captain’s early return, even though it was officially attributed to “medical grounds” by the Netherlands team.
Liverpool later stated that an “assessment” would be conducted, but many thought this was simply a cover to give the 33-year-old some time off.
However, Ronald Koeman has now provided further details (via the Liverpool ECHO): “Virgil had some minor issues, which he had last week. He trained separately until Wednesday.”
“Given the demanding schedule that these players face – he plays every match – we decided to send him back to the club.”
It now seems that Virgil van Dijk’s fitness could be a more significant issue than originally anticipated.
As photos of Mo Salah, Harvey Elliott, Jayden Danns, and Alisson Becker surfaced this week, showing their return to action at the AXA Training Centre, the ongoing absence of our No. 4 has raised growing concerns.
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We can only hope that this extended break is in line with what was agreed when he left the Netherlands camp, with the expectation of returning for Premier League action this weekend.
The full extent of concerns regarding several squad members won’t be clarified until Arne Slot holds his pre-Southampton press conference, where he is likely to address many player statuses.
With upcoming matches against Real Madrid, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Everton following the clash with the newly promoted Southampton, having a fully fit squad will be crucial.
