Soccer-Suspended Van Dijk heads back to Liverpool for rest after red card


FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Nations League - Group A3 - Hungary v Netherlands - Puskas Arena Park, Budapest, Hungary - October 11, 2024 Netherlands' Virgil van Dijk talks to the referee Lukas Fahndrich before being sent off REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Suspended Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk will not travel with the squad for Monday's Nations League match in Germany after opting for extra rest in preparation for a busy period with Liverpool, the Dutch FA said on Saturday.

Van Dijk was sent off in the 1-1 draw away to Hungary on Friday and is banned for the next Nations League fixture.

The 33-year-old initially said that, despite the suspension, he wanted to stay with the squad to support his teammates.

"I'll just travel with the team, of course," he told NOS television following the match. "At least, that's natural for me. I just played 80 minutes tonight, so I will first have to recover and I just want to be with the team as captain.”

However, Van Dijk later changed his mind and on Saturday was heading back to Liverpool, who face Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion (twice) over the next three weeks.

"I would have liked to continue supporting the team, but I decided that I would like to go home. There has been a lot of talk about all the matches we have to play, all those trips. It is a good time to get some rest,” he added.

Van Dijk is the first Netherlands captain to be sent off in a full international and misses an international for the first time since June 2022. He has 77 caps.

The KNVB said no replacement would be called up to the squad, which travelled to Munich from Budapest on Saturday.

(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Ken Ferris)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Football

Soccer-Spurs boss Postecoglou not focusing on Premier League table until end of season
Pan-gon is happy to be back home and ready for battle against JDT
Soccer-Mourinho lays into 'man of the match' VAR after Fenerbahce's win
Soccer-French prosecutors drop harassment probe into ex-soccer chief Le Graet
Soccer-Liverpool's Konate downplays injury, says he won't miss game time
Soccer-Inzaghi admits players need to be more clinical for upcoming matches
Soccer-Martinez's header gives Inter a 1-0 win over Venezia
Soccer-Chelsea thrash Everton 5-0, Man City stay top of WSL
Soccer-Van Nistelrooy sees positive in Man United's fighting spirit against Chelsea
Soccer-Caicedo's strike ruins Man United's celebrations in 1-1 draw with Chelsea

Others Also Read