Van Dijk injury: will Liverpool's captain play in the 11th round of the Premier League?
How serious is Virgil Van Dijk's injury: Liverpool captain didn't go to the national team for the November matches.
Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk will not take part in the Netherlands national team matches in the Nations League in November. This was officially announced by the Oranje press service, as well as the Liverpool club website. The injury news about van Dijk does not specify exactly what injury the Red captain sustained, it is only known that after the match against Crystal Palace in the last round of the EPL (Liverpool's 3:1 away victory) the defender felt discomfort in his leg and the club doctors recommended that he refrain from football for the coming weeks.
The advice is sound, as international breaks often lead to injuries of star players due to increased physical loads. Moreover, not only is the club calendar in modern football very congested, but at the national team level players often have to play two matches per week.
How many matches will van Dijk miss?
There is no precise information on this. At least, it has not been officially announced. There is only speculation that Virgil will be protected for the next couple of weeks, until the break for Nations League international matches and friendlies ends. After that, the Merseyside captain will again be available for selection by the coaching staff.
The story does not look very patriotic, but these are the current realities of professional football. Sometimes the desire to represent one's country on the football field is better set aside and focus on one's health.
Who to replace van Dijk with in Fantasy in case of injury?
If Virgil's injury turns out to be more serious than it appears at the moment, then in the upcoming EPL round Fantasy players can replace Liverpool's captain. Moreover, the Reds have a sufficiently dangerous opponent in the next Premier League match week – albeit a crisis‑stricken but still principled Manchester United, and basing the selection on a defender playing against the Red Devils in such a match does not generally look like an idea with a 100% guarantee of success.
Who, then, can be taken instead of van Dijk for the 11th round of Fantasy EPL? Here are our three replacement options for Liverpool's captain:
Victor Lindelöf (Aston Villa) – price £4.5 million
The Birmingham side play at home against Sunderland – a team with the weakest attack this EPL season (only 8 goals scored). Lindelöf is the defensive leader of Aston Villa, consistently starting in all 10 previous rounds. Victor often gets involved in set‑piece situations near the opponent's goal, although he hasn't scored yet this season.
James Hill (Bournemouth) – price £5.6 million
The defensive leader of Bournemouth, who will host Nottingham Forest in the upcoming round. Yes, the Forest side sensationally beat Manchester City at home last weekend (3:1), but before that they scored only 7 goals in 9 rounds, and their attack does not look stable or convincing. Therefore, Hill and his defensive partners have a chance for a “dry” match.
Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton) – price £5.5 million
He is still the best defender of the entire season by the number of Fantasy Premier League points scored. Moreover, De Cuyper is overall the best player of the season FPL! The Belgian has collected 75 points for his owners! That's more than Erling Haaland, who has only 70 so far. And at the same time, Maxim is much cheaper not only than the Norwegian striker but also many of his peers in the same position.
Brighton, for whom De Cuyper plays, face Hull City in the upcoming round. Yes, the opponent is stubborn and dangerous, and also away. But overall, the Seagulls' players clearly outclass the Tigers, and their Belgian defender, whom the coaching staff has lately been using almost as a winger, will certainly have chances to score new points this season.
It should be reminded that Virgil van Dijk is currently priced at 6.4 million pounds in Fantasy Premier League (that is, significantly more expensive than all three replacement options we suggested). Overall, Liverpool's captain earned 43 points in the 2026/27 season, having started all 10 league matches. The highest point haul for Virgil came in round 8 against Brighton – 9 points. It should also be noted that so far the Dutchman has not recorded any scoring actions in the Premier League this season, although overall Van Dijk likes to get involved in set-piece situations at the opponent's goal and score his trademark headers.
