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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has sent a clear message to his teammates ahead of facing Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup this weekend. The Dutchman might not play a part in the game but has insisted those who do won’t take it lightly.
“You see that in the FA Cup, a tournament which is famous for its giant-killing stories down the years, many top teams have come undone against supposed lesser sides,” Van Dijk writes in his matchday program notes. “We need to be fully focused to ensure our name is not added to that list on Saturday.
“I can assure you all that that will be the case. The mentality of this squad is very good, and is one of the big reasons we have started this season so well. We cannot, and will not, allow complacency to creep in now. Accrington Stanley deserve our full respect, and that is exactly what they will get.”
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Reds boss Arne Slot is expected to make wholesale changes for the fixture with rotation likely to be the order of the day. Players like Van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah should be near the front of the queue to get a rest ahead of the difficult-looking trip to Nottingham Forest which is coming on Tuesday.
“We are all looking forward to the game,” Van Dijk added. “I am sure you all are too. It was amazing to see nearly 6,000 of you guys down at Tottenham, and I know you will give us amazing support once more as we attack another competition. It never goes unnoticed, I can assure you.”
Liverpool.com says: Van Dijk should not be playing in this fixture because it is one of very few where he can actually be given a rest. It would be much more beneficial for the Reds’ captain to sit this one out, even with a shortage of options for Slot at center-back.