Liverpool have received a timely boost regarding Virgil van Dijk, while a fresh Milos Kerkez transfer rumour has emerged.
Today’s Main LFC Headline
For the past week or so, we’ve been collectively keeping our fingers crossed about Liverpool’s players staying fit on international duty.
Thankfully, there have been no setbacks to date – in fact, there has been a welcome boost on Monday!
It has been confirmed that Van Dijk will return to Liverpool and play no part in the Netherlands’ clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday night.
His release was described as being on “medical grounds,” but we expect he is just being rested for his side’s dead rubber.
The 33-year-old will enjoy a breather ahead of the Reds’ return to Premier League action away to Southampton on Sunday (2pm UK).
The same thing happened with Van Dijk during the October internationals after his red card, so Arne Slot will be delighted with his national team!
Today’s Liverpool FC News
- Curtis Jones helped England thrash Caoimhin Kelleher‘s Republic of Ireland 5-0 at Wembley on Sunday. It’s fair to say one has bragging rights over the other when they return to the AXA!
More from This Is Anfield
Elsewhere in the football world today
- Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been given a seven-match domestic ban by the FA for an alleged racist remark made about Son Heung-min. He will miss the clash with Liverpool on December 22
- England captain Harry Kane wants to continue playing for his country beyond the 2026 World Cup. He’ll be dropping so deep by then that he’ll be in goal! (BBC Sport)
- On Instagram, Jude Bellingham has hinted at issues under Gareth Southgate with England, saying he got his “smile back” with Lee Carsley in charge (Sky Sports)
Liverpool FC: On this day
On this day in 1997, Michael Owen scored his first-ever hat-trick for Liverpool.
It came in a 3-0 win at home to Grimsby in the League Cup fourth round, with Owen still only 17 years of age at that point.
The following summer, he would explode into superstardom, following a memorable goal for England against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.
History hasn’t been kind to Owen at Liverpool, not least because he joined Man United in 2009, but he was world-class at his peak, scoring 158 goals in 297 Reds appearances.
