In the Netherlands camp, attention is turning to Friday’s squad announcement, where Virgil van Dijk is expected to reappear in the Oranje plans under new head coach Xavi Hernández.
Van Dijk set for Oranje return
Xavi will publicly reveal his first selection for the Netherlands’ next four Nations League fixtures on Friday. Dutch reports indicate that Liverpool’s Van Dijk will be included after holding talks with the coach in England last week.
- Xavi took charge of the Netherlands at the end of August.
- He travelled to England last week for a meeting with Van Dijk, who informed the new coach that he wished to remain available for international football.
- The discussion was described as positive, with both men believing there was enough scope to begin working together.
- Van Dijk is now expected to be named in Friday’s first squad list for the four approaching Nations League matches.
A route towards 100 caps
The Liverpool centre-back has made 96 appearances for the Netherlands. Should he feature during the Nations League run, he could reach the 100-cap landmark in the Oranje shirt.
Official confirmation will come with Xavi’s announcement, but the meeting in England has pointed Van Dijk back towards the international set-up at the start of a new coaching era.
