Jurgen Klopp may not expect Virgil van Dijk to be fit to play for the Netherlands in this summer's European Championship finals - but former Holland international Edwin Koeman does not necessarily share that view.
Van Dijk has been sidelined since suffering a serious knee injury during the Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park in October.
The central defender is back in training, though it remains to be seen when he will return to action.
Klopp says he hopes Van Dijk will be fit to take part in pre-season ahead of the 2021-22 campaign but thinks the Euros - delayed from last year due to the coronavirus pandemic - will come too soon for him.
"It is not my decision (for the Euros) but to be honest the information I have in the moment is that it will be unlikely," said the Liverpool manager.
"Virgil is already running but this is a real tough one.
"We will be completely over the moon when they are ready to train with us for the start of pre-season but the Euros I didn't think about it.
"When do you have to be back to be ready to play in the Euros? The week before? The day the Euros start? I don't know.
"I understand maybe the need of that but we cannot make this decision and we will not. They will be fit when they are fit."
Responding to those comments, Koeman told De Telegraaf (via Inside Futbol ): “Virgil has a certain value for the team but also a financial value for the club.
“So the stakes are enormous and that explains why Jurgen Klopp is very defensive in his statements.”
Koeman was in a similar situation to Van Dijk ahead of the 1990 World Cup.
He recovered from a long-term knee injury shortly before the tournament and was able to represent his country in Italy.
“As a player, you give everything to get fit”, he added.
“You actually want to play the tournament at all costs, sometimes against your better judgement.
“I can totally imagine what he is doing.
“Who knows, maybe he can play a match for Liverpool before the European Championship, as that would help.”
