Virgil Van Dijk Liverpool news
Virgil Van Dijk Liverpool

Liverpool take on Norwich City in the Premier League season opener this weekend and Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Van Dijk and Joe Gomez will both be in contention to start.

The pair missed most of the 2020/21 season due to long-term injuries but they have returned to pre-season and there’s a big chance that both of them will pair up in central defence against Norwich.

“I think so, it looks like [they are available to start]. But how it is with these kind of things, we have nothing to rush in this department,” Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com.

“We just have to make then a decision on who will start, who will come on, things like this and if I think they are ready for 90 minutes then they are ready to start.

“If I think we have to take them off earlier then it makes no sense because centre-half is not actually a position where you want to change during a game and so we will see.

“But both look really good. An intense season is coming up. We will see how we decide that.

“Yesterday [Tuesday] was a day off, today [Wednesday] and tomorrow [Thursday] sessions, and then Friday the [matchday] -1, so there are some decisions to make but these decisions are for one game, not for the season. So it’s not that much a headache, to be honest.”

Will Van Dijk & Joe Gomez pair up in defence?

The return of Joe Gomez and particularly Van Dijk is a great boost for the Liverpool manager and in almost all certainty, Virgil Van Dijk will be named in the starting line-up on Saturday.

 

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The same though cannot be said about Joe Gomez since the manager also has options like Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate.

Konate is the only major summer signing for Liverpool so he will most likely be eased into the side so we have a feeling that Klopp will use the more experienced Joel Matip alongside Van Dijk.

This same pairing started against Athletic Club in the pre-season game and the Liverpool boss is probably going to use them in the season opener as well.

Read: Here’s how Liverpool are expected to line-up against Norwich City on Saturday.

Read: This 26 Y/O forward’s transfer saga could carry on until deadline day.

Read: Liverpool move ahead of Barcelona in the race to sign this 23 Y/O central midfielder.

Read: Southampton planning to sign two Anfield first-team players before the new season begins.