Liverpool will host Arsenal at Anfield in their Premier League clash tomorrow afternoon, and a reliable source has given an update on Virgil van Dijk's potential return ahead of the fixture.
What's the latest on Virgil van Dijk's availability?
According to The Athletic's Liverpool correspondent, James Pearce, Van Dijk will return to action against the Gunners after he was absent from the matchday squad against Chelsea earlier this week due to illness.
Jurgen Klopp also took to his pre-match press conference to confirm that the Dutchman is back in training ahead of the fixture, alongside Thiago Alcantara, who is also back in contention to start:
"Virgil, completely normal, he was back in training.
"Luis and Thiago training completely normal too. The plan with Luis is that he will be available 100 per cent for Leeds (on April 17). Again, it looks good, everything is fine, but it was a long, long injury and so we have to be careful. We will probably not involve him for Sunday.
"Thiago looks slightly different. He was not out that long, trained now three or four times with the team and he might be available. But we have to check how he feels."
Will Van Dijk start vs Arsenal?
The Reds earned a point from their outing at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening, with Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate forming a centre-back partnership in the absence of Van Dijk. However, it would come as no surprise to see the Netherlands captain instantly reprise his role at Anfield tomorrow.
Over 17 career appearances against Arsenal, the £220k-per-week titan boasts an impressive record with eight victories, four draws and only five losses – with just three of those defeats conceded during his time at Liverpool, so it's safe to say the defender's inclusion could terrify Mikel Arteta as his experience of snatching points from his side is vast.
Indeed, it is no secret that the Liverpool squad have struggled this season with a number of uninspiring performances and poor-quality individual efforts on the pitch, with Van Dijk no stranger to criticism for his own defensive displays over the campaign.
Over 23 Premier League appearances this term, the 31-year-old has only tallied eight clean sheets, conceded 26 goals, has lost 43% of his duels and made one error leading to a goal so far.
However, against the league leaders this weekend, there is no doubt that experience will be needed if the Merseyside giants are going to keep their outside chances of securing a Champions League spot alive.
With that being said, timely returns for Van Dijk, Thiago and Luis Diaz could be crucial in Liverpool's pursuit to take some positives away from their troubling season, and it could all start this weekend against Arsenal.
