Virgil van Dijk leaves Netherlands squad and returns to Liverpool 'on medical grounds'
Dutch captain Van Dijk, along with Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, have both been allowed to return to their clubs after starting in Saturday's 4-0 win over Hungary in Amsterdam
Virgil van Dijk has left the Netherlands squad and will return to Liverpool ahead of a crucial period for the Premier League leaders.
Dutch captain Van Dijk, along with Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, have both been allowed to return to their clubs after starting in Saturday's 4-0 win over Hungary in Amsterdam, with Van Dijk playing the full 90 minutes.
Neither player is injured, with the Dutch FA saying the decision has been taken to rest them for Tuesday's clash with Bosnia in Zenica after the Oranje secured qualification for quarter-finals of the Nations League.
Manager Ronald Koeman said: “For both Frenkie and Virgil it is better for them to leave the training camp at this moment. That decision was taken on medical grounds, with of course the interest of the players coming first."
Van Dijk wil head back to Merseyside and enjoy a rest prior to Sunday's trip to his former club Southampton in the Premier League, before Liverpool's mouthwatering back-to-back Anfield clashes with Real Madrid and Manchester City, with those games followed by crunch trips to Newcastle and Everton.
The Reds go into a crucial period of their season five points clear at the top of the Premier League and top of the Champions League table after four wins from four matches.
The Liverpool captain has played in every minute of the Reds' Premier League and Champions League campaigns this season, with Arne Slot only resting him for the Carabao Cup wins over West Ham and Brighton.
Speaking after the win over Hungary, Van Dijk said: "I want to do my thing, play my best game ever and be important for the group every time I'm on and off the pitch. I want to contribute one hundred percent to that every day.
"We're still growing, I think. There are phases in matches in which things are going very well, especially in possession. But there are also moments in the transition where we can be better defensively by thinking a little more defensively and playing more compactly.
"It's just not easy, because you're used to different things at your club. Then it takes some getting used to here. At the end of the day, it's all about the result. And 4-0 in an important game is just really good."
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