Liverpool are down 5-2 after the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League clash against Real Madrid and will have to mount a monumental comeback to advance to the quarter-finals.
Many have already written off the tie in Real Madrid’s favour, while others have pointed at Liverpool’s history to make comebacks in the Champions League, like against Barcelona in the 2018/19 season in the semi-finals.
For Van der Gip however, Van Dijk has nothing to benefit from playing the second leg, as he thinks the tie a foregone conclusion, and therefore the Liverpool star should hope to fall ill before the match.
Instead, the former Netherlands star advised his countryman to relax at home and have a sauna rather than visit the Santiago Bernabeu.
Speaking on Dutch TV show Voetbal Inside about the Liverpool-Real Madrid tie, Van der Gip said: “Virgil van Dijk should hope he gets corona.
“Stay at home, go into the sauna.”
Van Dijk was the subject of scrutiny after the first leg, with Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher claiming he could take the Dutch star’s place in the Reds team.
