Van Dijk and Brobbey pull out of Netherlands Nations League squad

Two withdrawals from the Dutch squad

The Dutch national team said on Monday, 9 November, that Virgil van Dijk and Brian Brobbey were not fit enough for the Nations League matches against Greece and Germany. The statement said both had come back from the weekend's fixtures without being fit, and no replacements were called up for them. Xavi Hernández, the new Dutch head coach, is working with a squad of 23 players for now. Liverpool separately confirmed that Van Dijk would not take part in the two games because of a fitness issue, though it did not describe the problem.

The weekend that preceded the withdrawals

Van Dijk, who is 35, played the full 90 minutes of Liverpool's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on 8 November, and was due to travel straight from the ground to the Dutch camp. Brobbey's match ended early for him: a muscle problem forced him off in the 67th minute of Sunderland's 1-0 win over Chelsea, and Wilson Isidor came on in his place. Van Dijk has started 14 of his 15 appearances across all competitions this season and has missed only one game so far. Brobbey had started the 1-1 draw with Germany in the early October international window, but was injured after a little over half an hour, in his 17th match for the Netherlands.

Liverpool's wider injury concerns

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola had already voiced worries about the break before the withdrawals, after Alexander Isak, Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo were injured during October's Nations League fixtures. Szoboszlai is due to have tests on his knee after being withdrawn against Crystal Palace, and he could miss Hungary's games against Georgia and Northern Ireland. After the Palace match, Iraola said:

“The last thing we need now is to lose players in the international games.”

Asked what the medical staff would advise over Van Dijk, Iraola said he knew what he wanted but also had to respect the needs of the national teams. He added that he expected Van Dijk to want to play if he was fine, though he was not sure that would be the case. Liverpool's first game after the break is against Manchester United at Anfield.

Brazil also keeps Alisson back

Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti has likewise decided against selecting Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker for the friendlies against Japan and Singapore. Ancelotti explained his thinking in these words:

“We don't need to test Alisson, we know him very well. He is the best goalkeeper.”

Ancelotti added that Alisson would be called up when the Copa America begins, and that this period was about watching the squad and helping younger players develop.

The remaining Oranje fixtures

The Netherlands open with Greece at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam on Friday, 13 November, before travelling to the Olympiastadion in Berlin to face Germany on Monday, 16 November. Both games complete the Netherlands' group phase in the Nations League, and the timeline below sets out the key dates of the week.

No replacements have been named for Van Dijk and Brobbey, so the Dutch squad stands at 23 players.