Jurgen Klopp has just been given Liverpool news he rarely welcomes after Virgil van Dijk ban
If Jurgen Klopp's strategy for the international break is to keep his fingers crossed and his breath held, his stance on Virgil van Dijk might be in stark contrast.
The Liverpool manager, not unlike any other club boss, no doubt spends the break in play for national fixtures hoping his players all return with a clean bill of health and relatively underworked for their respective countries.
In his captain's case, however, Klopp might be thankful at seeing Van Dijk getting some minutes for the Netherlands in recent days. The Reds skipper captained Oranje to a 3-0 win over Greece six days ago before helping see off Ireland with a 2-1 triumph at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday night.
It brought up the Dutchman's contribution to over 180 minutes of football during the break which, while not normally a welcome development for Klopp, has proven to be a useful by-product of the gap in Premier League fixtures this time.
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Having been dismissed just before the half-hour mark of that last-gasp victory at Newcastle United on August 27 - and having his subsequent ban extended to two games for his reaction - it will be nearly a month between Premier League games for Van Dijk.
It means that by the time he is ready to be called upon once more, Liverpool will have played more than 210 minutes without him in their side, which is not ideal for a new captain looking to settle in with his inherited responsibilities.
The No.4 kicked his heels on the sidelines of the 3-0 win over Aston Villa before the break and will once more be unavailable to Klopp by the time they
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