Former Liverpool forward Stan Collymore has questioned whether there is an argument for Virgil van Dijk being eased back into action a little more sparingly than he currently is.
The Reds drew 3-3 with Brentford in the Premier League this weekend, and it admittedly wasn’t a stellar performance by the Dutchman and his back line.
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To be fair, van Dijk sets a very high standard for himself and he has recently recovered from a serious long-term injury.
Speaking exclusively to Empire of the Kop after the full-time whistle, Collymore asked whether Liverpool’s No.4 is entitled to sitting the odd game out.
“Is it a game too far [for Virgil], in terms of it being a little too intense? [He] played a lot of games at the beginning of the season, we’ve got international breaks as well,” he said.
“Is there an argument for taking him out for a little spell? Even for a game or two, or even just managing him much better.”
While it’s true van Dijk has featured heavily so far this season after recovering from his ACL injury over the summer, he is seemingly match-fit – otherwise Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t select him.
That being said, the big man wasn’t at his best for Liverpool against Brentford so perhaps there is something in Collymore’s suggestion to give the No.4 a little break.