Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has been left on the bench for the Champions League match against LASK in Austria, with manager Andoni Iraola explaining the decision as a chance for rest during a congested fixture list.
Centre-back pairing chosen
Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo start in central defence instead of Van Dijk against the reigning Austrian league champions. The Reds are aiming to continue their perfect start to their European campaign.
Speaking before kick-off, Iraola said he wanted to give the Dutch defender a rest as Liverpool face an intense period of matches. The trip to LASK comes three days after hosting Manchester City in the Premier League, with another game at Brentford scheduled for Saturday.
Iraola explains the decision
Asked whether the match was a convenient opportunity to give Van Dijk a night off, Iraola replied: “Yes, I think we are in a part of the schedule where we are playing every three days, so we cannot expect to always play with the starting eleven.
“Virgil always wants to play, we have him available from the bench, but I think it was a good game for him to have some rest.”
Liverpool are heavy favourites to take all three points from the Raiffeisen Arena, and it is hoped Van Dijk will not be needed.
Youthful side named
Iraola has selected a youthful lineup in Linz, with Trey Nyoni (19), Rio Ngumoha (18) and Lewis Koumas (21) all starting in the absence of Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Dominik Szoboszlai.
“For me, Trey, Rio, Koumas are players from the academy, yes, but they are first-team players,” Iraola continued. “They are first-team players because we trust them, and we are in a situation where we have some injuries, and we come from playing three days ago, and we play three days later.
“They can play well, and I hope they will.”
