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Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman's intentions will not be appreciated back in Liverpool(Image: JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images)

The March international break has certainly not been kind to Liverpool with the Premier League title race run-in ahead.

Injuries to Alisson Becker, Ryan Gravenberch and a scare for Ibrahima Konate were far from ideal - now two more Dutch Reds would appear to be at big risk with their national manager taking a no holds barred approach to their second match of the week.

Liverpool have nine more Premier League matches, requiring 16 points to accumulate a total uncatchable by Arsenal's standards and therefore win the club's 20th-ever title in Arne Slot's first season as head coach.



But before then he must pray for a clean bill of health from the 20 players currently away representing their countries.

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To that end results are yet to be published on the issue that saw Gravenberch return from the Netherlands before being able to play, Alisson gave a positive update despite suffering a concussion and pulled out of the Brazil squad and France said Konate was substituted with an injury, despite media reports from the country saying otherwise.

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Slot will be hoping his squad is spared of any more issues with a huge Merseyside derby against Everton at Anfield coming next, where a big reaction is needed.

The Reds went into the break on the back of successive defeats, the first seeing them eliminated from the Champions League at the last-16 stage playing Paris Saint Germain and the second was at Wembley Stadium, losing the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle United.

Not helping this Liverpool desire is the fact that internationals this week are as competitive as they can get.

Taking place are the UEFA Nations League play-offs.

Those are at the quarter-final stage, when two-legged knockout ties are played, with the finals to come this summer.

The end winner of the competition earns automatic 2026 World Cup qualification.

Whilst Gravenberch was unable to compete, his fellow Reds Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo stayed behind with their country to engage in a battle with European champions Spain.

The first leg ended 2-2 with the latter on the scoresheet, so it is all to play for when the pair meet again in Valencia.

And for any club hoping their star players could earn a rest, at his pre-match press conference Dutch manager Ronald Koeman, speaking via De Telegraaf, could only warn: "We are playing two games against Spain and want to go full throttle with - in my opinion - the best team."

That should mean another full 90 minutes for Van Dijk and Gakpo in the space of three days, so long as they escape injuries before the final whistle.

Spain's ruthless attack means the former is in for a busy task and ultimately the same for the latter, as Koeman pointed out that he plans to get the most out of the Reds No.18 as they did not in Thursday's first leg.

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"There were so many moments that we could have hurt them a lot more - especially in the first half.
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