The Liverpool defender could make another appearance in the Europa League against Toulouse.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Reds captain and center half Virgil Van Dijk would miss tomorrow’s Europa League match against Toulouse due to illness during the standard pre-match press conference. Klopp stated that the Dutch defender is not expected to be out for an extended period of time, and that leaving him out may have a preventative benefit by preventing the spread of the unnamed illness to other players.
This precaution would be appropriate in any circumstance because player safety is paramount, but Reds fans can also be thankful that the team has maintained a perfect record in the group stage up to this point. Liverpool leads the group with 9 points from 9 games.It should be a matter of when, not if, the squad advances to the knockout rounds.
Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones join Van Dijk on the list of players who did not travel. On the former, Klopp was more upbeat, noting that the Dutch midfielder’s problem was due to a minor knee injury, which would allow them to play against Brentford this weekend. Things are only slightly less rosy for the young Scouser, with the gaffer indicating that Jones is out for the weekend but should be available when the team returns from the International Break.
This is all relatively good news because it appears that the group of players most fans would like to see available when the Reds resume league play against Manchester City. Let’s hope the Reds can maintain their winning streak heading into the break and, more importantly, pick it up again when they face the Citizens. It will be a break full of anticipation.
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