Nations League: Van Dijk Withdraws From Netherlands Squad To Face Germany, Greece Over Fitness Issue

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk will not compete in this month’s Nations League fixtures after withdrawing from international duty.

The Dutch national team announced on Monday that he and Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey “aren’t fit enough to feature in the upcoming Nations League matches”, as reported by Yahoo Sports.

“Both players did not return fit from the past weekend,” it added.

Liverpool released a statement saying he would not participate in the Netherlands’ games against Greece and Germany “due to a fitness issue”, but did not specify what the problem was.

The Netherlands play Greece in Amsterdam on Friday before travelling to Berlin for the second fixture next Monday.

Van Dijk played all 90 minutes of Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday and was set to travel straight from Selhurst Park to join the national team.

Brobbey hobbled off with a muscular problem and was replaced by Wilson Isidor 67 minutes into Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday.

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola discussed the international break with some trepidation after there were injuries to the key trio of Alexander Isak, Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo during October’s Nations League fixtures.

Also Read: Van Dijk: I Want Gakpo To Remain With Liverpool

Szoboszlai is set to undergo tests on his knee after he was withdrawn against Crystal Palace and could miss Hungary’s games against Georgia and Northern Ireland this time out.

Iraola said after the Palace game: “The last thing we need now is to lose players in the international games. Last time, we lost three very important players. It’s the last thing we need, so I hope he can take care of it.”

Asked what he believed the Reds medical staff would recommend, Iraola replied: “I know what I want, but I also have to understand the national teams.

“Also, I am sure that if he is fine, he will want to go, but I am not sure if it is going to be fine.”

James Agberebi is a sports content creator and analyst with a passion for football and other sports. He writes sports news, match reports, and analysis to keep fans informed about the latest developments in the sporting world. James has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men’s and women’s national teams. His experience covering Nigerian football gives him a good understanding of the game and the teams he writes about. Through his work with Complete Sports, James shares sports updates, match coverage, and analysis with readers in Nigeria and around the world.