Liverpool have several members of their squad away on international duty at the moment.
The Reds have been in poor form over the last couple of weeks, but that hasn’t stopped the players of their countries from being called up.
Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch, and Jeremie Frimpong all played for their country in their 4-0 win against Malta on Thursday.
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And, while Gakpo may have managed to score two and assist one, Van Dijk still ended up annoyed after the game.
Virgil van Dijk didn’t think he deserved a yellow card against Malta
Van Dijk has been one of Liverpool’s best players over the last few years.
He’s often kept the Reds’ back four in line, and without him among their ranks, it’s unclear how much worse off Liverpool would be.
Indeed, he is getting on a little bit now, so some changes will likely have to be made over the next year or so, but for now, he’s likely to be a regular feature at Anfield and for the Netherlands.
However, in their World Cup qualifying game on Thursday, the Dutch captain got himself yellow-carded, which puts him one booking away from a suspension.
This is why he was left annoyed despite them winning Malta 4-0.
“I didn’t consider it a yellow card at all,” he said to De Telegraaf. “I hear I’m on edge, and I have to deal with that. This is part of the game.
“We still have three important matches to achieve that. On to the next one.”
Liverpool need Virgil van Dijk to come back to Anfield with a plan
Although Van Dijk has played like his usual self for Liverpool this season, Ibrahima Konate has been miles off it.
The Reds’ last three games across all competitions have resulted in defeats, and at the moment, it’s unclear whether Liverpool actually have what it takes to become Premier League champions again.
Indeed, it’s still early days and they’re only two points behind the Gunners at the moment, but unless players such as Konate and Milos Kerkez get their acts together, the Reds may end up having to kiss their title hopes goodbye.
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However, if Van Dijk returns to Liverpool with a plan about how to get the Reds’ defence back to its best, then everything should be fine.
However, if that doesn’t end up happening and Liverpool are beaten by Manchester United upon their return, plenty of questions will have to be asked.