'Biggest risk': Gary Neville says Liverpool have their very own Rodri who they cannot afford to get injured

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As things stand, it is virtually impossible to look past Liverpool winning the 2024/2025 Premier League title, especially after how they took apart Tottenham Hotspur in their latest 6-3 win.

Gary Neville hailed Arne Slot by admitting that he expected the Reds to suffer a decline after Jurgen Klopp’s departure in the summer.

However, Liverpool are flying, having lost just once and drawn three out of their 16 league games in what has been a spectacular season for them so far.

Arne Slot will be aware that the title is far from won in December.

Mohamed Salah demanded Liverpool to “improve” defensively, which goes to show that this side still has a few chinks in their armour.

Gary Neville feels that Liverpool have to find a way to make sure that Virgil van Dijk stays fit throughout the entire season, which he believes is even a bigger priority than Salah’s availability.

• READ MORE: What Arne Slot privately told Liverpool's owners FSG about Virgil van Dijk recently

Gary Neville says a Virgil van Dijk injury could cost Liverpool

So much so that Neville has compared Van Dijk’s impact on his side to that of Rodri’s at Manchester City.

The pundit said on The Gary Neville Podcast: “At this moment in time, Liverpool are clear favourites. And I think if they can keep [Virgil] Van Dijk fit, the biggest risk to them is probably an injury.”

“Van Dijk and [Mohamed] Salah but more Van Dijk, I think gets Van Dijk is injured, you almost lose…it’s almost like the Rodri of Liverpool. He holds so much together, just having that rock there at the back.”

Gary Neville added: “They’ve proven that they can live without Alisson, who’s a great goalkeeper, for a period of time, I think Salah, they would lose quite a bit but I think Van Dijk still there, they get through enough points and I think find a way to get victories with [Diogo] Jota and [Cody] Gakpo and [Luis] Diaz and the like.”

“So, I think keeping Van Dijk fit is absolutely crucial.”

Didier Drogba praised Van Dijk by naming him as the best centre-back in the world as he continues to dominate attackers at the age of 33.

Martin Odegaard singled Van Dijk out as the toughest defender he has come up against in the Premier League, which goes to show the undeniable quality he has to this day.

Liverpool’s record with and without Virgil van Dijk

As their captain and arguably the standout defender in English football, Liverpool’s reliance on the Dutch international is self-explanatory.

This season, Van Dijk has only failed to start in the league leaders’ three games in the Carabao Cup, which emphasises how much Arne Slot has depended upon his countryman from day one.

The statistics further stress why the Champions League winner has always been so essential to Liverpool.

Liverpool have lost more games (28) in Van Dijk’s absence than they tasted defeat (22) when he has been on the pitch.

This very metric alone emphasises how key has been to his side’s success and why Gary Neville believes keeping him fit is so important for Arne Slot’s title hopes.