Virgil van Dijk laments fixture congestion ahead of Christmas period

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has hit out at the Reds' hectic schedule across the upcoming festive period.

Due to continental and domestic cup commitments, the Reds are set to play nine games before the end of the year, including three in the space of six days between December 20 and December 26.

Writing in the match programme ahead of the Reds' UEFA Europa League clash with LASK at Anfield, Van Dijk stated: "There are times during the season when games come so thick and fast that it feels like you have no sooner finished one and you start preparing for another one almost straight away. There is no doubt that the coming month is one of those periods.

"From tonight’s fixture onwards we will play nine games in 27 days, which is obviously a challenge, but it is also a schedule that every one of us has to and will embrace because only by attacking it together will we get as much out of it as we possibly can.

"I have spoken on a number of occasions about the risks that an overly-congested fixture calendar causes to players and I stand by every word. This is very much a conversation that football needs to have for the sake not just of those who play, but also for the game itself.

"This shouldn’t be controversial because everyone in football should have the best interests of the game at heart. It is just about finding the right balance that works for everyone."

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This isn't the first time that Van Dijk has lamented fixture scheduling, insisting that the volume of games being played in England is leading to more injuries to top players in the game.

"In England we believe the schedules are too busy," the defender said back in October.

"The players are getting paid well but it should never come at the cost of our health. We keep having to play more and more games. We as players should start saying something about it, contribute to a solution."

There are currently a whopping 107 Premier League sidelined due to a variety of injury concerns heading into a busy Christmas period of fixtures, with Liverpool currently missing the likes of Alisson, Andy Robertson and Diogo Jota.

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