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Trey Flowers signed with the New England Patriots

New Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk understands why some sections of the fanbase are heading into the season apprehensive about what it may bring but he does not share their concerns. There is growing unease over the club’s failure to recruit a defensive midfielder following the sale of Fabinho to Al-Ittihad and manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted he will have to find a quick fix from within the squad for this weekend’s opener at Chelsea. After the departures of Jordan Henderson, also to Saudi Arabia, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain there is little left of the core midfield which helped win the Champions League and Premier League in recent years. It means forward Cody Gakpo could be asked to drop back while £35million summer signing Alexis Mac Allister is likely to be deployed in the deep-lying role – which does not play to the Argentinian World Cup winner’s strengths – with fellow new arrival Dominik Szobozslai expected to make his Premier League debut. The club’s stuttering pursuit of Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, who could fill the Fabinho role despite being only 19 and having made just 29 appearances in one top-flight season, has led to criticism from the likes of former Reds defender Jamie Carragher. But as Van Dijk embarks on his maiden campaign as captain, having inherited the armband from Henderson, he remains confident they can find the improvements necessary to get back into the top four and challenge Manchester City and Arsenal. “I can definitely understand it (fans’ negativity) in some ways but I’m not a very negative person, so obviously it’s not in my mind to think like that,” he said. “But obviously when a lot of players are leaving, when your captain is leaving, your vice-captain is leaving, and at the moment there are only two incomings… “And the way we have been playing, in possession really good but defensively when you concede goals it’s not as good I can understand some people having doubts. I can understand some people having doubts... but I’m not a very negative person so obviously it’s not in my mind to think like that Virgil van Dijk “Let’s see if more players are coming in and then we have to be ready again for a long season. It will be very tough if we look at the teams around us, but we want to be up there again, we want to be challenging again.” The loss of the majority of their midfield has not only left Liverpool short on numbers but also on experience, with 1,318 appearances in the middle of the park disappearing over the summer. While Mac Allister, 24, has made 98 Premier League appearances for Brighton, the 22-year-old Szobozslai has just 62 Bundesliga games to his name in two seasons with RB Leipzig, although his consistently high numbers were one of the reasons Liverpool made their move. Other realistic midfield options currently available are Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic, who have not featured in pre-season as they continue to recover from injuries sustained last season. There is the 24-year-old Gakpo, with 21 league appearances in four months after joining in January, and academy graduate Curtis Jones, aged 22 with 63 league outings. Van Dijk sees the loss of senior players as an opportunity for others to take up the mantle. “We have to be confident, we should be confident and we should still be learning each and every day,” he added. “There have been characters leaving, players who have played a big part in the success, but others have to step up. “That’s a nice challenge in my opinion. We should be excited. I’m very excited, so let’s give it a go.” Van Dijk himself is typically relaxed about his promotion to captain but knows he is following on from the ultra-successful Henderson, who lifted the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Club World Cup. “Obviously we won everything together, and I was very sad to see him leave to be honest but that’s football, that’s life, and he has the right to do that in this case,” said the Dutchman. “He made that decision but if I can be as successful as he was as a captain then I would sign (up) for that immediately. “It’s step by step. I’m looking for consistency from our side, winning games, winning them the hard way at times, finding a way and creating a positive atmosphere where we all do it together. “That’s how I want to attack the season and give everyone the assurance that we give everything for one another. Hopefully we will be successful.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Joe Roberts could make Wales debut in next World Cup warm-up clash with England Hull KR captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall hoping to top off career with Wembley win Key questions answered as Robert Helenius steps in to take on Anthony Joshua

Total prize money and player compensation at this year’s U.S. Open tennis tournament will reach a record $65 million

Chris Buescher is finishing the regular season in a winning way

Anthony Joshua will fight Robert Helenius this weekend, as the Finn steps in for Dillian Whyte. Joshua was due to fight Whyte in a rematch of their 2015 clash, which “AJ” won via knockout, but Whyte returned an adverse drug-test finding last week, causing Saturday’s main event to be cancelled. Helenius, 39, has been drafted in to fight Joshua, 33, on short notice, as the pair square off at London’s O2 Arena. Briton Joshua last fought in April, beating Jermaine Franklin on points to bounce back from two straight losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Meanwhile, Helenius fought just last week, winning in the third round to respond positively to a knockout loss to Deontay Wilder last year. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is it? Joshua vs Helenius will take place on Saturday 12 August at the O2 Arena in London. The main card is due to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET). Ring walks for the main event are then expected at around 10pm BST (2pm PT, 4pm CT, 5pm ET). How can I watch it? The event will stream live on Dazn. A subscription to the streaming platform is available to purchase here, with monthly plans starting at £9.99. Odds Joshua – 1/18 Helenius – 25/1 Draw – 17/2 Full odds via Betfair. Full card (subject to change) Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius (heavyweight) Filip Hrgovic vs Demsey McKean (heavyweight) Johnny Fisher vs Harry Armstrong (heavyweight) Derek Chisora vs Gerald Washington (heavyweight) Campbell Hatton vs Tom Ansell (super-lightweight) George Liddard vs Bas Oosterweghel (middleweight) Brandon Scott vs Louis Norman (featherweight) Maisey Rose Courtney vs Gemma Ruegg (super-flyweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Anthony Joshua to face Robert Helenius after Dillian Whyte fight cancelled Robert Helenius: Record of Finnish star stepping up to face Anthony Joshua Dillian Whyte vows to prove his innocence after doping test ‘adverse finding’ Key questions answered as Robert Helenius steps in to take on Anthony Joshua Robert Helenius: Record of Finnish boxer stepping up to face Anthony Joshua Anthony Joshua news LIVE: Next fight revealed after Dillian Whyte fails doping test

Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. and Dodgers' Freddie Freeman are going head to head in the NL MVP race in 2023. Who's coming out on top?As the NL MVP race heats up this season, one current Braves player and one former Braves player could wrestle for the coveted award. The rumored favorit...

The winners and losers from Liverpool's pre-season campaign. The Reds scored 18 goals in five games, losing just once.

Giorgos Giakoumakis signed for Atlanta United in the 2023 winter transfer window, filling the void Josef Martinez left in the attack when moving to Inter Miami.

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the signing of Alejo Veliz from Rosario Central, subject to international clearance and a work permit. He has signed a six-year contract.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be the best team in the NFL when it comes to proper hydration.Make that two southeastern football teams of note that p**s teal, and excellence!When it comes to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, it is about showing pride in one's school. But for the Jackson...

Ron DeSantis is traveling around the country letting everyone know that he's running for president right now. Every now and then he stops to interact with people and it's always an adventure. During one of this latest stops he was asked about his polling numbers, which one person said were "substantially behind" Donald Trump. Rather than take this one sitting down, DeSantis took control of the narrative, stretched out his face, said, "Not here!" and launched into an animated, maniacal laugh.

The Guardians' Single-A team couldn't resist taking another swing at Tim Anderson. The trolling never stops.White Sox's Tim Anderson will soon get a statue built in his honor in Cleveland. The fallen usually do.In the aftermath of the shocking fist fight between Anderson and G...