Virgil van Dijk gives damning verdict on Man United's new signing Matthijs de Ligt

Virgil van Dijk expects Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt to improve following a critical mistake playing for the Netherlands.

The United centre-back, who has had a disappointing run in international fixtures, failed to impress again despite being selected for the Dutch squad. His error during the team's 5-2 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina exposed him to scrutiny last week.

Maintaining the trust of Dutch manager Ronald Koeman, De Ligt was in the starting XI for Tuesday's match that ended in a 2-2 draw with Germany. Yet, the event turned sour for the ex-Bayern Munich defender.

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De Ligt's slip-up permitted Denis Undav to net a goal and he was also implicated in Joshua Kimmich's goal. Consequently, Koeman substituted De Ligt at half time for Brighton's Jan Paul van Hecke.

Post-match, Van Dijk didn't mince words about what he thought of his compatriots performance. Speaking plainly, the Liverpool defender said: "This is football. You have to learn from this.

"It was one moment but at the highest level you will get punished for it." Concurring with Van Dijk, Koeman offered an explanation for his decision to replace De Ligt during the interval.

Koeman expressed his reluctance saying: "Of course I would rather have kept Matthijs de Ligt on the pitch. It just looks like he is now in a period where all his mistakes are being punished.

"I gave him a new chance today, but eventually protected him by taking him off." Koeman reiterated earlier this week his prior attempt to quell worries regarding De Ligt's mishap for the Netherlands against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"We talked about it briefly. That was focused on the goal,"