ไทย
English
中國人
Virgil van Dijk has a chance to shatter an 18-year-old Liverpool record when the club travels to Aston Villa in Friday evening's Premier League clash.
The Reds head to the Midlands looking to secure their Champions League spot for next season, a goal they can accomplish with a win over the side sitting just below them on goal difference.
Arne Slot continues to navigate an injury-hit squad ahead of this pivotal match, but the Dutch manager can once again count on his fellow countryman and skipper Van Dijk. The center back has been an ever-present fixture in Liverpool's backline throughout a challenging campaign.
Van Dijk has started all 36 of Liverpool's Premier League games this season, logging 4,761 minutes on the pitch. If he plays for at least another 30 minutes against Villa on Friday, he will eclipse a record set by Jamie Carragher in 2007–08 for the most minutes played (4,789) by an outfield Liverpool player in a single league season.
Liverpool's Overreliance on Van Dijk Laid Bare
Van Dijk's resilience is truly commendable. The defender, who turns 35 in July, takes exceptional care of his body and has been rewarded with a season completely free of fitness issues. Given Liverpool's extensive injury problems this term, his consistent availability has proven absolutely vital.
Nevertheless, Van Dijk's overuse stands as a stark reflection of poor squad management — Liverpool's failure to land Marc Guéhi last summer and their subsequent decision to stay inactive in the January window have effectively run their captain into the ground, all ahead of a World Cup year in which he will lead the Netherlands.
Van Dijk made his 40th consecutive start for Liverpool in last weekend's draw with Chelsea, becoming the fourth-oldest player in club history to reach that milestone — and the oldest to do so since Ian Callaghan strung together 93 straight starts between September 1975 and March 1977.
While Van Dijk's achievement warrants recognition, Liverpool's inability to give him rest has ultimately taken a toll on what has been a below-par season for the once-dominant defender. The effects of aging inevitably catch up with top players, but in Van Dijk's case, the lack of rotation has only accelerated the process.
Center Back Signing Must Be Priority for Liverpool
Liverpool cannot afford to lean on Van Dijk to the same extent next season and must address the problem in the transfer market. A new center back is expected to arrive in the summer, with young Jérémy Jacquet having already joined for a significant fee in January, but further reinforcements are still needed.
Giovanni Leoni, 19, has yet to recover from the ACL injury he sustained on his Liverpool debut, while Ibrahima Konaté could potentially leave on a free transfer this summer. The injury-prone Joe Gomez may also move on.
Liverpool will need to bring in at least one central defender this summer should Konaté depart. Even if the Frenchman remains, the Reds could still benefit from bolstering their defensive options given his struggles this season.
Another significant summer lies ahead. Fortunately, Liverpool have no shortage of options in the transfer market.