Virgil van Dijk has been released from the Netherlands squad ahead of their Nations League match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.
The Liverpool captain played the full 90 minutes in the Netherlands’ 4-0 victory over Hungary on Saturday, which secured second place in Group C and a spot in the Nations League quarter-finals in March.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has also been released by manager Ronald Koeman.
De Jong made his first international appearance in 13 months following a series of ankle injuries.
Van Dijk has played every minute of Liverpool’s Premier League campaign, helping them establish a five-point lead at the top of the table.
“For both Frenkie and Virgil it is better for them to leave the training camp at this moment,” Koeman said.
“That decision was taken on medical grounds, with of course the interest of the players coming first.”
Virgil van Dijk is eager to head back to Merseyside and enjoy some rest ahead of Sunday’s trip to his former club, Southampton, in the Premier League.
This comes before Liverpool’s highly anticipated back-to-back Anfield clashes with Real Madrid and Manchester City, followed by challenging away trips to Newcastle and Everton.
The Reds enter this crucial period of the season five points clear at the top of the Premier League and also sit atop the Champions League table, having won all four of their matches so far.
Liverpool’s captain has featured in every minute of the team’s Premier League and Champions League campaigns this season.
The only exceptions have been the Carabao Cup victories over West Ham and Brighton, where manager Arne Slot opted to rest him.
Speaking after the win over Hungary, Van Dijk said: “I want to do my thing, play my best game ever and be important for the group every time I’m on and off the pitch. I want to contribute one hundred percent to that every day.
“We’re still growing, I think. There are phases in matches in which things are going very well, especially in possession. But there are also moments in the transition where we can be better defensively by thinking a little more defensively and playing more compactly.
“It’s just not easy, because you’re used to different things at your club. Then it takes some getting used to here. At the end of the day, it’s all about the result. And 4-0 in an important game is just really good.”
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