Football news - Liverpool stars Van Dijk and Salah injured on international duty

ByEurosport

Updated 14/10/2018 at 15:40 GMT

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk has withdrawn from their squad for Tuesday's friendly against Belgium, less than 24 hours after scoring in the 3-0 win over Germany in the Nations League.

Van Dijk, 27, is still feeling the effects of a rib injury suffered playing for Liverpool against Southampton last month and the Dutch football association said in a statement on Sunday that it had been decided he would only play against Germany.

No replacement will be called up for Tuesday’s friendly in Brussels.

Van Dijk got the opening goal for the Dutch on Saturday, before Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum scored late on as they recorded a morale-boosting triumph over their neighbours.

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Egypt's forward Mohamed Salah looks on during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group A football match between Saudi Arabia and Egypt at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd on June 25, 2018

Image credit: Getty Images

The news comes a day after Mohamed Salah suffered an injury of his own while on international duty for Egypt.

Salah will be assessed by Liverpool's medical staff ahead of their game against Huddersfield. He came off during Egypt's African Nations cup against eSwatini with what appeared to be a muscle injury.

The forward scored directly from a corner but had to leave injured in the second half.

Egypt coach Hany Ramzy appeared to downplay the seriousness of the injury, saying after the game: "The initial diagnosis confirmed that the injury is a muscle strain and there is no possibility of muscle rupture."

Last week, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp complained about the Nations Cup.

Klopp said: "The boys unfortunately go away again now and have to play Nations League games - the most senseless competition in the world of football!

"We hope that they come back healthy and play these easy competitions, the Premier League, the Champions League and all this.

"It's tough times for the boys, eh? We have to start thinking about the players."

Additional reporting from Reuters

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