Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has been ruled out of his side’s Premier League clash with Chelsea on Tuesday (April 4) due to illness.
The Athletic reported that Van Dijk missed training ahead of the crucial game with the Blues. The veteran defender has been vital for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season, missing seven games due to a hamstring injury. He has made 32 appearances across competitions, helping his side keep 11 clean sheets.
His absence comes as a massive blow for Liverpool, who are eager to get their top-four pursuit back on track. They suffered a 4-1 thrashing at Manchester City on Saturday (April 1). That left them eighth in the league, trailing fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by eight points.
Van Dijk touched on the defeat to the Cityzens, saying that there would be some hard-talking in response to the setback:
“(It was) frustrating. I think the first half was quite even, obviously a fantastic goal by Mo (Salah); then they scored a good goal as well. Second-half at 2-1 was a big blow and a very frustrating second half.”
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The Dutchman will play no part in the clash with Chelsea. Klopp will have to decide who to select in central defence out of Joel Matip, Joe Gomez, and Ibrahima Konate.
