If Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp’s strategy for the international break is to keep his fingers crossed, his stance on Virgil van Dijk might be in contrast

If Jurgen Klopp’s strategy for the international break is to keep his fingers crossed and his breath held, his stance on Virgil van Dijk might be in stark contrast.

The Liverpool manager, not unlike any other club boss, no doubt spends the break in play for national fixtures hoping his players all return with a clean bill of health and relatively underworked for their respective countries.

In his captain’s case, however, Klopp might be thankful at seeing Van Dijk getting some minutes for the Netherlands in recent days. The Reds skipper captained Oranje to a 3-0 win over Greece six days ago before helping see off Ireland with a 2-1 triumph at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday night.

It brought up the Dutchman’s contribution to over 180 minutes of football during the break which, while not normally a welcome development for Klopp, has proven to be a useful by-product of the gap in Premier League fixtures this time.

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Having been dismissed just before the half-hour mark of that last-gasp victory at Newcastle United on August 27 – and having his subsequent ban extended to two games for his reaction – it will be nearly a month between Premier League games for Van Dijk.

It means that by the time he is ready to be called upon once more, Liverpool will have played more than 210 minutes without him in their side, which is not ideal for a new captain looking to settle in with his inherited responsibilities.

The No.4 kicked his heels on the sidelines of the 3-0 win over Aston Villa before the break and will once more be unavailable to Klopp by the time they are hosted by Wolves on September 16. And with a Europa League campaign getting underway at LASK nearly a week later, the manager is unlikely to risk his captain in Austria either as he aims to make full use of his squad in the early going of Group E.

So with the visit of West Ham United on September 24 circled on the calendar for Van Dijk, the game-time for Ronald Koeman’s Dutch team will be viewed by staff at the AXA Centre as a welcome element, particularly given Ibrahima Konate has been sidelined with an injury since the win over Bournemouth last month.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold also struggling with a hamstring issue, Liverpool can ill-afford to have too many in their defensive department suffering with either fitness or form, so from Klopp’s perspective, the international break has at least kept Van Dijk sharp for the return of domestic action later this month. A rare benefit for the Reds.