The Dutch will suffer much as Van Dijk chooses to skip the EURO
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 12.05.21. | 16:26
The team captain decides to prolong his injury recovery and take a rest before the start of the next season with Liverpool
Without the team captain at the EURO. The Dutch national football team will be severely weakened at the upcoming continental show, as Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk announced that he will miss the tournament to fully recover from a severe knee injury due to which he has not played since October.
"It was a long, long journey. I had to go step by step. The recovery is going well, and I have not had any additional problems. But I had to decide: European Championship, yes or no? And considering how the situation is going physically, I feel that the right decision is not to go to the EURO but to dedicate myself to the last phase of rehabilitation during the break... Of course, I am depressed that I will miss the European Championship, but I have to accept the circumstances. We all have to. It's hard, but my conscience is clear, "said Van Dijk in an interview for the LFC website, the first one he gave since he was injured.
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His absence is probably the most significant cause of a dreadful season for the Scousers and we will only see how much it will affect the Netherlands. Van Dijk and Matthias de Licht would form a formidable centre-back duo. Thus, selector Frank de Boer will have to look for another solution for the matches with Ukraine, Austria and Northern Macedonia in Group C.
However, Van Dijk had no choice.
"I am no longer the youngest. I'm not old, but I'm mature, and I know this is the right decision. To give the body and knee a little more time to recover. I was aware that I would be under pressure before this decision, but time is not the most important thing here, but to return to the field completely ready... I have to be more patient. "
Van Dijk gets injured against Everton in October 2020 (©Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)Of course, all this does not mean that Van Dijk will rest during the summer.
"When the season is over for the others, it won't be for me. I may have a few days off, but I will train every day until the beginning of the preparations... The sun will shine again ", promises Van Dijk.
