The Dutch start the new international match week with luxury in midfield

It is not possible for a country like France to be at our doorstep next week, but beating Ireland or Gibraltar is enough to qualify for the European Championship, otherwise Dutch National Team Coach Ronald Koeman would be struggling with injuries right now. important positions.

Where the wealth in the midfield increases, defensive concerns also increase.

Nathan Aké was injured on Sunday evening, weakening the position in an otherwise well-manned defensive line. Jurriën Timber and Sven Botman have been missing for some time, and Matthijs de Ligt and Micky van de Ven were also injured last week.

Good luck to Hato

Who’s left? Captain Virgil van Dijk, of course. Lutsharel Geertruida, Stefan de Vrij, Daley Blind and full-backs Denzel Dumfries, Jeremie Frimpong and Quilindschy Hartman. Koeman had to call up 17-year-old Ajax player Jorrel Hato.

Hato was preferred over Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jan Paul van Hecke and Hato’s left foot was undoubtedly a key factor. With the defeat of Aké, who is also left-footed, Hato’s chances of playing increase.

As Koeman’s defensive concerns increase, his options in midfield also increase. Main midfield man Frenkie de Jong isn’t there yet, but it’s not as dramatic as it has been lately. This is partly due to the improvement of Tijjani Reijnders.

Reijnders, 25, is improving rapidly at AC Milan, showing his talent for the Dutch team with two good substitute appearances in September and confirming his class with two good debut appearances against France and Greece in October. “He is developing wonderfully,” Koeman said last month.

Another link for the midfield, the controller, was created with 26-year-old PSV player Jerdy Schouten. Additionally, Koeman will again have access to Teun Koopmeiners, who was missing last time. There is interest from big clubs in the Atalanta midfielder. Napoli are interested and last week sports newspaper Tuttosport reported that Newcastle United wanted him. Price tag: seventy million euros.

no wood yet

With Marten de Roon, Mats Wieffer and Joey Veerman, Koeman still has three alternatives. Three players Koeman knows and weighs. It also needs urgent attention. Feyenoord’s Quinten Timber was the match winner and the absolute highlight of the best match against AZ (1-0).

Although all of his Dutch teammates (Bijlow, Geertruida, Hartman, Wieffer and Stengs), who left for Feyenoord on Sunday, will report to the Dutch team on Monday, Timber is still waiting to make his debut. “It’s about showing up,” he said. “It’s up to me to keep this going. Then I have full faith that this will happen naturally.”

Watch an excerpt from Studio Voetbal about Oranje midfielder and Feyenoord star Quinten Timber below:

Guus Til was one of PSV’s standout players with the goal and assist he scored against PEC Zwolle. The player, who has won five international caps with six goals, is the most dangerous Dutch player in the Premier League after his teammate Luuk de Jong, who retired from the Dutch team. Til was not in the primary either.

Gravenberg

Ryan Gravenberch is also in the waiting room. The 21-year-old former Ajax player, who is currently slightly injured, has made good progress since his transfer to Liverpool FC from FC Bayern Munich. He had been penalized for refusing to play for the Dutch youth in the previous international match. The situation is different now.

Koeman wanted to stay at home if possible. “Before we announced the shortlist, I called him to let him know he wasn’t on the list,” Koeman recently explained. “But if he continues to improve as he is now, he will join the Dutch national team.”

It’s a nice prospect for Gravenberch, but standing still is no longer an option for him and the other midfielders.

Watch Studio Voetbal’s quotes on forward Brian Brobbey and goalkeepers Bart Verbruggen and Justin Bijlow below:

Source: NOS