Ryan Gravenberch has been forced to withdraw from the Netherlands squad, delivering a blow to Arne Slot as Liverpool continue their pursuit of Premier League glory.
The 22-year-old midfielder sustained an injury during Liverpool's Carabao Cup final loss to Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium last Sunday. Despite initially joining the Dutch team for the upcoming Nations League quarter-final ties with Spain, it was later decided that he should return to Liverpool for further medical evaluation.
On Wednesday evening, the Dutch national team released a statement confirming his departure: "Ryan Gravenberch has left the Oranje's training camp this evening. The midfielder is still suffering from an injury sustained over the weekend that prevents him from playing in the matches against Spain."
Gravenberch has been instrumental in Liverpool's midfield under Slot's management, featuring in 41 games across all competitions and starting every one of the 29 Premier League fixtures this season.
Having joined Liverpool in 2023, Gravenberch initially found himself on the periphery of the first team under Jurgen Klopp. However, Slot transformed the ex-Ajax and Bayern Munich player into a pivotal No 6, filling a crucial gap in the squad, reports the Mirror.
His performances as a central midfielder have been vital to Liverpool establishing a commanding 12-point lead at the summit of the Premier League, although the intensity of the season seemed to be taking its toll on him in recent times. He played the full 120 minutes in the Champions League last-16 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, before being withdrawn after 74 minutes of the Wembley defeat to Newcastle.
Arsenal are currently second in the Premier League, with the Gunners on 58 points. With Liverpool on 70 points, Mikel Arteta's side face an uphill battle to win the league this season.
Liverpool don't return to action until a Merseyside derby clash with Everton at Anfield on April 2, with Slot sure to be desperate to have Gravenberch fit and available. If he can't play, then Slot could turn to Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo at the heart of his midfield, while Curtis Jones, who is currently on England duty, could also play in a deeper role.
The Reds will still be without Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez and Tyler Morton for the Everton clash, but Harvey Elliott has allayed injury fears by linking up with the England under-21s. Arsenal, meanwhile, will be hoping to have Bukayo Saka back fit for their clash against Fulham on April 1, while the likes of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Takehiro Tomiyasu will miss the rest of the campaign through injury.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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