Virgil van Dijk set the pulses of Liverpool fans racing after being the recipient of a stoppage time tackle in Holland’s 6-1 victory over Turkey, though quickly allayed fears with his post-match update.
The Dutch defender had gone down holding his leg after an attempt to win the ball following an under-hit pass from compatriot keeper Justin Bijlow resulted in what initially appeared to be a painful collision between the No.4. and Halil Dervisoglu.
“I’m fine, luckily. I’m already over it,” the 30-year-old spoke post-match, as quoted by Goal. “Maybe because I am so big, they think I am acting, because when I go down, it goes in quite a slow way.”
With the Reds’ prior campaign suffering without the reliable presence of the former Southampton ace in the backline, Jurgen Klopp will no doubt be relieved to see the key star remain in good health.
We at the EOTK are certainly relieved to see our talismanic centre-half emerge from the clash in question apparently unscathed.
With the likes of our free-spending rivals making statement purchases in the window, keeping Van Dijk fit could be the difference-maker in a season of potentially fine margins.