Klopp admits it’s too early to tell if Van Dijk can play the final
Liverpool will assess Virgil van Dijk’s condition in the coming days to see if the Dutch colossus is fit to take part in the Club World cup final against Flamengo (h/t Liverpoolfc.com).
The Dutchman missed Liverpool’s semifinal win over Monterrey. With Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren already out injured, Klopp was forced to play captain Jordan Henderson alongside Joe Gomez in defence.
Monterrey took advantage of the makeshift defence and caused Liverpool plenty of problems. Had it not been for the excellent Alisson Becker, Liverpool could well have faced the ignominy of defeat.
Praising Henderson for his performance, Klopp went on to say that he is unsure if Van Dijk will recover in time to face Flamengo.
Alternatives
Although Liverpool saw out the game against Monterrey, playing Henderson in defence could turn out to be a much more dangerous proposition against Flamengo.
With the likes of Gabriel Barbosa upfront, Flamengo would relish playing against a nervy backline.
With Liverpool flying in Sepp van den Berg and Ki-Jana Hoever after the Carabao Cup quarterfinals, Klopp can at least call upon two players who are natural defenders even if there is a gulf in age and experience (h/t NBC).
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The presence of Van Dijk in the defence brings about both calmness and organization to the back four. His presence on Saturday could go a long way in making Liverpool favourites for the title.
We hope he will be declared fit so we can finally lay our hands on the Club World Cup.
