Why is Van Dijk not playing for Liverpool against Arsenal in FA Cup?
We take a look at how Jürgen Klopp has set his side up in the big third round trip to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp says he cannot take too many risks with his team selection in his side’s FA Cup third-round tie against Arsenal on Sunday. Liverpool will be without forward Mohamed Salah and midfielder Wataru Endo, who are both on international duty, while Dominik Szoboszlai has been ruled out of at least two matches with a hamstring issue.
And Virgil van Dijk us also missing for the big game.
“I am not sure if Arsenal is now a game to rotate. I don’t know 100% if we have the opportunity to do so to be honest,” said Klopp ahead of the game at the Emirates Stadium. “We have players available and we can line a good team up. If that looks then afterwards like rotation, I don’t know yet.
“We’ve had six days between the games (since Newcastle on New Year’s Day) and there’s no need for rotation. You can say, ‘OK, three days later we have another game’. Yes, that’s true, but we can think about that when the other game is over. That’s what we do usually.
“And both have the same importance, there is nothing in between. We want to win these games, we want to go to the final but we want to go to the next round as well but it is probably the most tricky draw you can get.”
It wasn’t until shortly before kick-off that we found out that the defensive rock of Van Dijk would be missing, young Jarell Quansah - who has impressed when covering this season - taking his place. Good news for Reds fans is that the big Dutchman is suffering from illness rather than injury so is not expected to be out for long.
Alexis Mac Allister along with English duo Jones and Elliott start in midfield, while Darwin Nuñez gets another
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