To hear that one of our players has been returned from international duty will set hearts racing on Merseyside but news that it’s only a virus for Cody Gakpo has relaxed us somewhat.
However, the fact that a further four players have all gone down after contracting the same virus is certainly strange, even more so given that the cause of the issue, initially believed to be linked to a chicken curry, now appears unclear.
As reported by Telegraff (translated): ‘It seems strange that five players did get sick and the other internationals did not, but it is not. Not everyone has eaten chicken curry. Moreover, it depends on someone’s resistance how susceptible he or she is to the bacteria’.
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Virgil van Dijk seemed to also agree that the curry wasn’t the cause (via GOAL): “I don’t know where that story comes from. I also ate chicken curry myself and it was delicious. Whether that is the cause? No idea. No one has an idea. I can’t imagine”.
The former Southampton man went on to add that it certainly came as a ‘shock’ to see so many of his teammates sent home as a result: “In our group app, messages suddenly came through that some boys were going home, that they were ill. That was a bit of a shock.”
Anyone who’s fallen foul of a virus from food or drink will know that it’s far from a pleasant experience and our No.18, although not suffering from a muscle injury, will be feeling terrible right now.
Thankfully we still have time before facing Manchester City but with Darwin Nunez also out of Uruguay’s international fixtures through injury, it seems that at least two of our forward line may not be at 100% for the return of domestic football.
With our No.4 preparing to face Kylian Mbappe without several of his international teammates with him, let’s hope that he stays away from any more curry dishes before making his return to Liverpool!
If Tottenham’s lasagne-gate is anything to go by too, try and avoid that as well please, big Virg!