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There’s a new look about a key area of the team for Liverpool, a changing of the guard enforced by recent events, a previous zone of consistency now faced with uncertainty. No, we’re not talking about midfield - that particular switch-up already looks a definite upgrade, even early as it is for such conclusions. Instead it’s at left-back the unexpected alteration has occurred, a consequence of Andy Robertson’s need for surgery which means the Scot is out for the rest of the year. Having averaged over 44 appearances a season for the Reds since signing in 2017, he’ll now miss at least 17 matches, if best estimates of his return are to be believed. That leaves not just a gap for Kostas Tsimikas or an untested youngster to fill tactically, but a void which cannot be accounted for: that of a partnership, of understanding, of the natural, unthinking knowing which comes with playing hundreds of matches alongside a teammate. It can be argued that such a changeable nature can be applied not just to the midfield, not even just to left-back, but to the entire defensive structure this term at Anfield: injuries have already hit on the right and centrally too, to go along with the altered personnel ahead of them in the middle third of the pitch. All that simply means one truth must be constant if the Reds are to translate early season promise into longer-term capacity to challenge for major honours: Virgil van Dijk must once again prove himself to be among the very best, not just individually as a defender but as a force to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. There cannot be much debate that the Dutchman, now club captain at Anfield, has not quite reached the same levels of authoritative performances as he did pre-ACL injury, or at least not on as regular a basis. The period which saw Liverpool win both Premier League and Champions League saw Van Dijk at the pinnacle of the game, a central defender without peer, a worthy recipient of the Ballon d’Or itself, had he been handed it instead of a runner-up spot, pipped by seven votes in 2019 by Lionel Messi. Perhaps that in itself was a noteworthy award. In any case, he’s not quite there these days, not quite the automatic choice among fan or pundit asked to name the world’s finest. It’s arguable that there isn’t a single stand-out candidate right now for that particularly subjective title. But in asking whether Van Dijk is capable of being the world’s best defender again, part of the answer has to be that it doesn’t really matter. He might want to be of course, might already believe he is, but from a team perspective what they really need is Van Dijk’s ability to stabilise the team, to foresee and forestall danger, to order those around him to bring forth resilience from chaos. Because chaotic is, still, a little too close to the truth when it comes to spells of defending for Liverpool. The midfield is far more creative, far more offensive and energetic, far less reliant on Trent Alexander-Arnold always being at his best. But all that comes at a cost: it’s not always the most agile and defensive-first in either recovery or positional terms. It’s still new as a group, still needs time to become as cohesive as the best central trios are, on and off the ball. And in the meantime, the result can often be large gaps, lost runners, moments of inexplicable choices in possession. That leaves a hefty weight on the defence to counteract such moments - the defence and, of course, the still-magnificent Alisson Becker behind them. But before that one-man last line, it’s Van Dijk who must rise once more to ensure unity, if not always outright unison. Acting in perfect harmony is difficult enough with four constant selections; as it is this season, Jurgen Klopp has already utilised Jarell Quansah as a fifth-choice, following injuries. Alexander-Arnold missed pitch time and is not yet back to his peak physical or technical best. Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip have dovetailed, and now there’s Tsimikas present on a more regular basis - which also means either Joe Gomez will see minutes on the left, or an untried youngster will, with Calum Scanlon and Luke Chambers first in line. They presently tally one senior minute between them. They will all four need guiding for different reasons, all need time, all occasionally get things wrong and need the left-sided centre-back beside them to bail them out. No prizes for guessing who that is on a week-to-week basis. Because for Liverpool, there are prizes at stake. Three points off the top of the Premier League table after a fine opening quarter of the campaign; rolling along nicely in Europe and domestic cups alike. Between now and the next international break, the opportunities for victory across all competitions are as immense as the potential cost of dropped points: Toulouse twice, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Luton, Brentford. A modern title-competing team would take six wins with very little fuss, in truth. Then, beyond, it’s Manchester City away. The most true barometer of where Liverpool are this season, even coming after an international break and in the infamous 12:30pm kick-off spot. The margin for error remains almost nil, but with the reigning champions perhaps not quite at their own peak yet, and Klopp’s side having improved more than might have been thought possible at this early stage, thoughts of a title challenge will not be far away - if the defence is kept on-point, even with altered personnel. It all means Van Dijk must be as close to his own 100 percent as possible, even if his 2023/24 maximum level is a little lower than in 19/20. As far as transformative figures go, Van Dijk was one after signing. He, as much as anyone else and more than most, sent Liverpool from challengers to champions, in every competition across the board. Now once again he must be the leader - literally, given the armband - who enables the Reds to do so, not so much the new figurehead this time but as the standard-bearer, the supplier of consistency, the model of outperformance which can give Liverpool the extra edge they’ll need, both in the Premier League and beyond. Read More Build from the front? Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are repeating an old trick England’s Euro 2024 squad: Who’s on the plane, who’s in contention and who has work to do? Virgil van Dijk will show he is Premier League’s best once more – Sami Hyypia Virgil van Dijk will show he is Premier League’s best once more – Sami Hyypia Virgil van Dijk: Liverpool finally had some luck go our way against Everton Euro 2024 qualifying – who has reached Germany and who still has work to do?

Special prosecutors in Switzerland have closed criminal proceedings against FIFA President Gianni Infantino relating to undisclosed meetings with the country’s former attorney general

Madonna is the bookies' favourite to top the bill at the world-famous music extravaganza.

Chelsea are among the sides tracking Lille's teenage centre-back Leny Yoro, who is also of interest to Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. Liverpool and Manchester United are aware of the 17-year-old's progress

(Removes extraneous word in 2nd paragraph) MADRID (Reuters) -Spain created thousands of new jobs during the summer even as the

Kai Cenat is no stranger to celebrity guests, having welcomed the likes of SZA and Drake on Twitch over recent times, and he used his latest chat with Nicki Minaj to tease a big upcoming project. The streamer spoke with the rapper live on his feed, announcing an event which is likely to excite fans – all while snacking on a bag of chips. However, some fans were temporarily concerned after Cenat stated that he will be going to jail for seven days. Only, he’s not going to be behind bars for real. Instead, he was referring to his upcoming “7 Days In” project, where he’ll be joined by celebs as they live stream themselves spending a week in jail. Speaking to Minaj, he teased the project and asked whether Minaj would bail him out of jail in real life. “I’m about to go to jail,” Cenat said. “What?” a shocked Nicki replied. “You got my bail? You gonna bail me out, or nah?” Kai asked her. “Why are you going to jail?” Nicki said again. “Seven days, it’s crazy, for real. ‘Cause I have to,” he went on to say, before denying that he was heading to jail due to his fans causing a riot in New York recently. While Minaj said she would bail him out in a hypothetical situation, Cenat was really referring to his plans for ‘7 Days In’. So far, the likes of Offset, YouTubers RDC World and streamer YourRage are all involved. It comes a few months after Cenat expressed his disappointment at fans who rioted during his New York giveaway. In August, Kai held a huge giveaway at Union Square that saw gaming consoles given away. More than 6,000 people were said to have attended the event which soon turned sour. Footage showed teens damaging cars, throwing objects, fighting and blasting fire extinguishers. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

By Hyunsu Yim and Daewoung Kim SEOUL One year after Park Young-soo lost her only son in a

By Heekyong Yang and Joyce Lee SEOUL Hyundai Motor said on Thursday it would not delay plans to

Joe Biden has doubted the death toll in the Gaza Strip as reported by Palestinian Health Ministry

England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and opted to bat in a must-win game for the defending champions against Sri Lanka on Thursday at the Cricket World Cup

Taylor Swift fans were certainly in for a treat this year. The star not only showcased her hotly anticipated Eras Tour across the world but also surprised diehards with a film dedicated to her sold-out shows. Now, famed cinema giant AMC has given Swifties the chance to buy merchandise, with a collectable bucket and cup set for $24.99 on their website. Fans were ecstatic to learn the news and turned to X/Twitter to share their excitement to get their hands on the bundle. "22-minute wait to buy Taylor Swift The Eras Tour #AMC Movie Bundles on the merch site. Gotta love Swifties," one person wrote with a screenshot of the website explaining the site was "experiencing a high volume of traffic". Another noted: "Taylor Swift has people waiting in a 25-minute queue for a popcorn bucket and people say she isn’t the most popular artist alive right now." The merch was initially under AMC's 'merchandise' tab in the right-hand corner but has since seemed to have sold out. Many more fans experienced the disappointment firsthand, with one writing: "The one time I’m not on social media all day AMC puts the only piece of Taylor Swift merch I want (pink popcorn tin) online and I it sells out before I know about it." Another wrote: "I got into the AMC merch site and I can’t find any of the Taylor Swift stuff. They must’ve sold out" It's not all bad news though, as the AMC website suggests supplies are still available in some cinemas while supplies last. It comes after the 'Blank Space' singer released the film a day earlier than initially planned. "I can’t thank you enough for wanting to see this film that so vividly captures my favorite adventure I’ve ever been a part of: The Eras Tour," Swift shared on Instagram. "And the best part is, it’s an adventure we’re still on together. Getting in the car now … ." Indy100 reached out to AMC for further details on supplies. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Laura Woods has slammed a misogynist troll who sexually harassed her online, following her on-air failed handshake with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag this week. The TNT Sports presenter had retweeted a video of ten Hag accidentally leaving her hanging when she tried to shake his hand at the end of an interview. In the clip, she turns to the camera and laughs, shaking her hand in the air after the football manager inadvertently turned away her offer of a handshake. Unfortunately, one creepy troll on X/Twitter decided this was the time to make an unwanted sexual advance on the journalist. Woods hit back: “And will you provide the microscope too?” Surprisingly, the troll account has not yet taken down the post, despite the fact that commenters flocked to support Woods. Her tweet has over 7.3m views and 53,900 likes with most of the 2,000 reposts and thousands of replies praising Woods. One person replied with a crown emoji saying: “LAURA WOODS YOU DROPPED THIS.” Meanwhile, somebody else replied directly to the troll, saying: “Steven, based on your follows it doesn't look like hands are your preference. You stinky boy.” We’ll leave readers to check out who the person follows… Another person said: “I’d deactivate if I was you ? man just got ended.” And one other posted a video of wrestler Edge slapping John Cena's father during a famous WWE storyline. The interview came after ten Hag’s Manchester United team overcame a shaky run of form in recent weeks to squeak past Copenhagen at Old Trafford. Harry Maguire scored the only goal of the game after 72 minutes, but fans had their hearts in their mouths after the Danish team won a penalty with minutes left in the game. But Andre Onana saved it, securing a win as Manchester United paid tribute to Sir Bobby Charlton, who died on Saturday aged 86. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.