Virgil van Dijk Pulls Out of Netherlands Squad After Liverpool Captain ‘Competed Despite Discomfort’ in Recent Games

November 10, 2026 sportnow LIVERPOOL’s captain Virgil Van Dijk has pulled out of the Netherlands squad due to an injury sustained after dealing with a minor problem in recent weeks.

The Dutch side is preparing for two crucial Nations League matches: one against Greece at home on Friday and another against Germany away next Monday.

The national team released an official statement indicating that Van Dijk, 35, is not in good enough condition for the upcoming matches.

According to The Athletic, the defender had been playing in discomfort recently for Liverpool.

The Oranje also confirmed that Sunderland player Brian Brobbey is unfit for their matches against Greece and Jurgen Klopp’s Germany.

The Netherlands’ manager Xavi has stated that he will not be calling up any replacements.

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Van Dijk is just 35 appearances away from surpassing Wesley Sneijder’s national team record of 134 caps.

The Liverpool star and Brobbey are not the only notable players who have had to withdraw from international duty during this break.

Switzerland’s captain Granit Xhaka has also been ruled out after sustaining a calf injury during the warm-up of Sunderland’s 1-0 victory over Chelsea last Sunday.

The Swiss national team released a statement: “Granit Xhaka has to withdraw from the national team gathering due to a calf injury.”

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Additionally, Arsenal prospect Ceadach O’Neill has been forced to pull out from Northern Ireland duty due to his own injury.

Manager Michael O’Neill expressed his disappointment: “We’re naturally disappointed to be without Ceadach for the final two games of the campaign. He has been a great asset to the squad in the last international window, and everyone here wishes him a swift recovery.”