90min

Virgil van Dijk explains what could decide Premier League title race

  • Liverpool remain top of Premier League table after draw with Fulham
  • Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca continues to reject claims of a title race
  • Van Dijk explains how title fate could be decided

By Tom Gott

Van Dijk is ready for a title fight
Van Dijk is ready for a title fight / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages
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Virgil van Dijk has warned his Liverpool teammates that injuries and suspensions could prove crucial when it comes to deciding the fate of the Premier League title.

The Reds sit top of the standings, two points ahead of Chelsea having played one game fewer, but must now prepare to do without left-back Andy Robertson, who was sent off early in the 2-2 draw with Fulham.

It leaves Liverpool short at the back, where Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley are both injured and Kostas Tsimikas is only just returning from his own fitness problem, and Van Dijk admitted periods like this could go a long way to deciding which team wins the Premier League when all is said and done.

"Let's see what happens on Wednesday," Van Dijk said ahead of the Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Southampton in midweek. "I don't know, maybe the manager has to be creative.

Andrew Robertson, Tony Harrington
Robertson was sent off for fouling Harry Wilson / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages

"The injuries that are there we have to accept and deal with, unfortunate of course, but hopefully things will change and players will come back as soon as possible in the best way.

"It has been mentioned many times already, injuries are piling up, you see that with different teams, and the amount of games we play. Then injuries are bound to happen and that could change the quality of games as well. But what [Manchester City] have been going through with injuries and inconsistent games, going up and down, we've been there as well and it's not an easy place to get out of and it's not an easy place to be in.

"I won't speak about them because I don't focus on them but I know how difficult it is to go through that and hopefully we don't go through it but we also have the injuries.

"Whether that is because of the load and all the games, you don't know, but obviously it plays a big part because it takes a lot of your body, not only playing the game but the travelling, flying up and down the world, but that is football for 2024/25 so you have to deal with it."

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