Virgil van Dijk absence explained as defender misses FA Cup clash

Virgil van Dijk absence explained as defender misses FA Cup clash

Virgil van Dijk was absent from the Liverpool squad that faced off against Arsenal on Sunday evening.

For the second time in the space of a month, the two sides face off against each other but this time around, in the FA Cup.

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Their original encounter just before Christmas at Anfield saw the game finish a 1-1 draw after a Gabriel Magalhaes header was cancelled out by a Mohammed Salah strike.

With the two teams now meeting in the FA Cup, both managers have decided to make a number of changes with some voluntary while others were forced.

Gabriel Jesus missed out on a place for the Gunners with a slight knee problem while Van Dijk was not named in the Liverpool squad.

Many supporters feared that he may have suffered an injury himself but according to Jurgen Klopp, he is currently ill.

“Virg is ill. We were actually kind of lucky in the last two, three weeks because a lot of staff had it but not the players.” He told the BBC.

Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool’s captain shows his love for Nigerian musician Asake, singing his hit song
Virgil van Dijk and Asake

Premier League’s best defender Virgil van Dijk showed his love for Nigerian music as he was seen singing Asake’s song.
Liverpool’s captain Virgil van Dijk is a lover of Nigerian music and Afrobeat songs. This time, the colossal defender was videoed singing Asake’s hit song Organise.

Van Dijk has always made it clear he has Afrobeat songs on his playlist, and some of his favourite musicians are Wizkid and Omah Lay.

Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world
He has also influenced some Liverpool players to listen to Nigerian musicians, as some Afrobeat songs are in the club’s playlist during their gym workout sessions.

Mo Salah swapped his boots in the second-half, and it has now been suggested that was his winning formular in Liverpool’s victory against Newcastle United.

Jurgen Klopp has not hidden his desire for Egypt to crash out early at the AFCON so Mo Salah can return to Liverpool

In a video released on Liverpool’s social media platforms, showing their players arriving for their daily activities at the AXA Training Center, Van Dijk walked in singing Asake’s ‘Organise’.

Liverpool will play Arsenal next in the fourth round FA Cup, and they’ll be without their star players Mo Salah and Wataru Endo, who have gone for national duties (Egypt and Japan) at the AFCON and Asian Cup Championships respectively.