Virgil van Dijk could miss Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Tottenham, according to Jurgen Klopp.
The Liverpool skipper did not train with the rest of the squad on Thursday after picking up a knock and may not be risked at Anfield.
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Van Dijk, 32, has been involved in almost every game for the Reds this season but has not been able to guide them to the title.
He did score the winner in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea earlier in the year, but the Dutchman will have had his sights set on more silverware before Klopp departs.
Liverpool remain five points off leaders Arsenal with just three games to go and must hope for a monumental slip-up from both the Gunners and Manchester City if they are to claim the crown.
Beating Spurs is a must on Sunday but things have been made more difficult with question marks over their defensive powerhouse’s fitness.
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Are you one of the 2,346,048 managers that currently own him… if so, who have you got lined-up as a replacement? 🔁#FPL PIC.TWITTER.COM/VPQCKFSQVJ
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) MAY 3, 2024
Speaking ahead of the game, Klopp said: “Diogo [Jota] is not in team training yet, Conor Bradley is, Virgil wasn’t.
“No, [he will] probably be part of team training today, so we will have to see what we can do there. That is it.”
Klopps words will offer Liverpool fans a faint piece of hope that Van Dijk may make it into the starting XI against Ange Postecoglou’s men, but he has proven in the past that he is not afraid to bench his stars if he feels it is necessary.
He kept talisman Mohamed Salah off the pitch for the majority of the 2-2 draw with West Ham last week, prompting a row between the two and Salah losing his cool in front of the press.
But Klopp says that matter is now resolved.
He added: “Completely resolved. It’s no problem. If we didn’t know each other for that long, I’m not sure how we would deal with it.
“But we’ve known each other for that long and respect each other too much that it’s really no problem.”
