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Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk has ruled himself out of the Netherlands' squad for Euro 2020 in order to concentrate on being fit for next season.
The centre-back has been out for seven months after undergoing surgery on ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee and, although he has returned to light running, he does not believe the time is right to push to captain his national team this summer.
“I’ve just progressed nicely. In this latest stage for myself, I have come to a decision that I had to make: would I be involved in the Euros, yes or no?,” he told Liverpool’s club website.
“With everything that is going on, I feel physically it is the right decision that I’ve decided not to go to the Euros and to go into my last phase of rehab during the off-season.
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“So the full focus will be on pre-season with the club and that’s a realistic goal, so I am looking forward to that.
“Obviously I am very gutted to miss the Euros and leading out my own country there, but things have been like they have and I have to accept it — we all have to accept it.
“I think the decision to not go is the right decision in the grand scheme of things. It’s tough, but I’m at peace with it.”
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