"We can't Afford to lose him" - Liverpool fans urge national team boss to rest Reds star for Euro qualifier ahead of clash against Manchester City
Liverpool fans online have urged the Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman to rest Virgil van Dijk ahead of the Dutch Eleven's fixture against Gibraltar on November 20.
According to Anfield Watch, former Barcelona boss Koeman has said that he can possibly rest Virgil van Dijk against Gibraltar. The Netherlands will be finishing second in Group B of the 2024 UEFA Euro Qualifiers. They can't catch France for the top spot and are also clear of Greece, who are in the third position.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will be visiting the Etihad Stadium to face Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in the Premier League on November 25 (Saturday). The Cityzens are expected to miss a couple of big stars against the Reds due to injury.
The Merseysiders' fans don't want Virgil van Dijk or Cody Gakpo to sustain any injury before the Premier League game. They took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their reactions:
"We can't Afford to lose him to injury," a user commented.
"He's surely not getting that rest. The man will make sure he plays till the final whistle," another user wrote.
Here are a few more reactions:
The Reds are currently second in the Premier League with 27 points, behind Pep Guardiola's Manchester City by one point after 12 games.
Jurgen Klopp's side defeated Brentford 3-0 while Manchester City played a 4-4 draw against Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea last week.
Lionel Messi praises Liverpool star after World Cup qualifier
Former Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi praised Darwin Nunez after Argentina suffered a 2-0 defeat against Uruguay in World Cup qualifiers.
Playing at the Estadio Alberto J Mufa, Lionel Scaloni's Argentina locked horns against Uruguay on November 17 (Friday) in 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Barcelona's Ronald Araújo broke the deadlock in the 41st minute with the help of an assist from Matías Viña.
Nunez later sealed the victory for La Celeste in the 87th minute. After the match, Lionel Messi praised the Liverpool forward, saying (via Liverpool Echo):
"Uruguay are good at rebounding and playing in space on the counter attack. They have excellent players for that like Darwin [Nunez]."
Next up, Uruguay will lock horns against Bolivia on November 22 (Wednesday) at Estadio Centenario. On the other side, the Argentine football team will be traveling to Rio de Janeiro to face Brazil on Wednesday.