Injury, worry, or, timely, boost,? Virgil van Dijk & Frenkie de Jong released from Netherlands squad as Liverpool & Barcelona sweat on their fitness

The Dutch national team confirmed the news of the two star players’ departure from the squad on social media on Monday. Their official statement read, “Virgil van Dijk and Frenkie de Jong are not part of the squad for our final group stage game against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Nations League.”

• WHAT RONALD KOEMAN SAID

  Providing an update on the conditions of the defender and midfielder, manager Ronald Koeman said, “For both Frenkie and Virgil it is better for them to leave the training camp at this moment. That decision was taken on medical grounds, with of course the interest of the players coming first.”
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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Van Dijk’s injury will be a matter of concern for Arne Slot, who has enjoyed a dream run in the Premier League in his maiden campaign as Reds boss. The Merseyside club have won 15 out of their first 17 matches across all competitions and they currently enjoy a five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the league table. De Jong, on the other hand, had recently recovered from a long-term ankle injury as he first appeared for Barcelona in the second half of their loss to Real Sociedad and then featured in Koeman’s starting lineup against Hungary on Saturday.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL AND BARCELONA?

  The medical staff of the two European giants are expected to conduct tests on the players once they return to their respective clubs. It remains to be seen if the Dutch stars can feature in their teams’ upcoming games against Celta Vigo and Southampton.