Hope van Dijk has made giant steps in his rehabilitation: Netherlands coach
May 09, 2021
Amsterdam [Netherlands], May 9 : Netherlands head coach Frank de Boer has said that defender Virgil van Dijk needs to make a quick decision on his participation in the upcoming Euro 2020.
Liverpool's Van Dijk has been out of action due to an injury after he was left with cruciate ligament knee damage following a tackle from Everton's Jordon Pickford during a Premier League clash on October 17 last year.
The defender underwent a surgery after that, and he has been out of action since then. However, the Netherlands coach remains hopeful of van Dijk returning for the Euro 2020.
"I think he has to decide, it is his career. I can imagine that he is in a dilemma. Can It mean something for Oranje? I hope he has made giant steps in his rehabilitation," de Boer told ESPN, as reported by Goal.com.
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp had also said that he wants van Dijk to participate in the Euro Cup, but he is not to sure about his chances of doing so.
"Virgil's knee. I don't want to hold him back, but you cannot force it as well," The Reds boss said earlier this month. If you want to play in a tournament, you have to train beforehand, proper football training - and not a week before but weeks before," said Klopp.
"You can't after 10 or 11 months out train for a week and then play football, that is just not possible. It should not be possible. Nobody is holding him back, I can promise all the people in Holland that. But you can't force it, and we will not," he added.
Euro 2020 is slated to begin on June 11 this year and the Netherlands will lock horns against Ukraine in their first game of the competition on June 13.
