Mauricio Pellegrino has updated the media before the opener against Swansea, but his team plans have been dealt a catastrophic blow with the news that Virgil Van Dijk has been unable to train for two days with a virus.

Mauricio Pellegrino's team selections have been thrown into disarray by the news that Virgil Van Dijk is now down with a virus thus ruling him out of being available for Selection to face the Swans.

Asked if Van Dijk will play ahead of the game against Swansea City Pellegrino said:

"‘No, no, because this week he was with some trouble with a virus. He couldn’t train the last two days."

" My reaction is the same that I said three weeks ago we are expecting him to come back to train with us because we need the player, Virgil is an important player and we need him focusing on our club.”

"Hopefully he can change his point of view. The club was clear from the beginning with the player."

"We can't control every single situation. but we can decide our dynamic inside this club, and Virgil is part of our club. Good contract. Virgil is part of our club. He has a contract but we are now waiting."

With regard to new signing Mario Lemina Pellegrino confirmed that he would be available for selection but not whether he would play.

"Physically he is good, because he has been training in Juventus, but we will decide between today and tomorrow if he will be part of the team," he said.

Otherwise there are no other injury problems in the squad although the manager commented that some players such as Cedric were late joining the squad due to International duty and that they were being monitored as to their fitness levels etc.

Photo: Action Images

codge added 12:12 - Aug 11 And we're supposed to believe that BS, give me a break.
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insanesaint added 12:16 - Aug 11 Skiverlitis comes to mind
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SaintPaulVW added 12:26 - Aug 11 Bet it was a good sicky voice on the phone
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bstokesaint added 12:39 - Aug 11 "Brainturnedtosh1titis" or "Scaredofthehomefansitis," Both can be quite nasty, although not necessarily contagious, unless in the company of agents who seem to just breed sickness. I wonder if the same condition will keep him out of the Dutch squad. Poor old Virgil van Disease.
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bstokesaint added 12:41 - Aug 11 Or maybe he consumed a poisonous Dutch egg and we should be genuinely concerned..
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steve73 added 13:11 - Aug 11 Hopefully he'll clear up all the conjecture about his health by issuing a convoluted written statement.
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SaintBrock added 13:58 - Aug 11 Pellegrino got off lightly this morning, let's see how long his honeymoon will last.
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bstokesaint added 14:03 - Aug 11 Given the relatively 'easy' start we've been handed, I suspect Mauricio will get about 5-6 games in which we'll be expected to be comfortably in the top half. Not my personal judgment, but the Saints' fans of the current era don't tend to have the patience they once did.
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Sanguin added 14:05 - Aug 11 I'm sure the majority of the fanbase are queuing up to bring him chicken soup and some lemsip!
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the_saint added 15:30 - Aug 11 What a lot of rubbish do they really think us saints fans are that thick. Virgil still sulking and saints do not want to alienate the fans any more incase he. Comes back in the fold.
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arfurdent added 17:59 - Aug 11 is a STD?
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Vreg added 19:49 - Aug 11 A dose of the Klop?
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