Eight Dutch players may or may not make it to the European Championship

Ronald Koeman counted the Netherlands as one of the contenders to win the European Championship in Germany in March, but the question is whether the national coach still has the same opinion. With the new injury to Frenkie de Jong, another player is uncertain for the Dutch team for the final tournament that starts in seven weeks. Koeman can only hope that the list of dropouts (including Quilindschy Hartman and Sven Botman) and doubtful cases will not increase in the coming weeks.

Frenkie de Jong

Frenkie de Jong was injured on Sunday evening in the top match between Real Madrid and Barcelona (3-2). The midfielder suffered a sprained ankle and it is not yet officially clear how long the midfielder will be out of action. Spanish media assume about five weeks and that means that he will not play another minute in LaLiga this season. The question remains whether he will make it to the friendlies against Canada and Iceland in early June. Koeman will undoubtedly be willing to include a key player like De Jong in his European Championship selection if he can only play later in the tournament.

Also read: Sneijder calls ideal replacement for Frenkie de Jong in Orange

Memphis Depay

Memphis Depay made his return to the Dutch national team in March against Scotland and Germany, after an absence of a year (!). Various injuries meant that the attacker had to miss international period after international period. Depay made a good impression, but on April 8, the Atlético Madrid striker suffered a muscle injury during training. Depay will most likely continue to play in LaLiga in the coming weeks, but the star player will not be truly match fit at the start of a major tournament. And that is certainly not the first time.

Mats Wieffer

Mats Wieffer was on crutches in De Kuip on Sunday when his Feyenoord teammates won the NEC cup final. He is suffering from a muscle in his upper leg and the severity of the injury, a tear or a strain, is not yet clear. His trainer Arne Slot thinks it will not be too bad, but in the event of a muscle tear, the European Championship will become a race against time for the midfielder. That is bad news for Koeman, especially given the physical trouble surrounding Frenkie de Jong.

Donyell Malen

Donyell Malen also cannot escape injuries in the most important phase of the season. The Borussia Dortmund striker was out of action with a thigh injury after the international break in March, when he left a good impression, and now he has been struck down by a knee injury. The expectation is that the two semi-finals against Paris Saint-Germain in the first week of May will come too early for the Dutch international. Due to his versatility, Malen is a particularly important player for Koeman, who hopes that the attacker will be fit in time for the European Championship in Germany.

Also read: Mossou: ‘Koeman is not charmed by him at all’

Noah Long

PSV hopes to be able to use Noa Lang in the final matches of the season. The attacker suffered from hamstring injuries in the first half of the season and has been in the sick bay since the end of January. Koeman would undoubtedly like to have Lang there at the European Championship, for the same reason as Louis van Gaal at the World Cup in Qatar. With his sometimes inimitable actions he can always break open a match. A place in the European Championship selection without playing minutes at PSV is unlikely.

Steven Berghuis

Steven Berghuis played his last international match in September last year and has therefore not been included in Koeman’s plans for some time. Yet the midfielder and right winger of Ajax is always a player that the national coach likes to keep on hand ‘just in case’. However, Berghuis has been struggling with injuries for some time, from knee problems to back pain. Once he has recovered, Berghuis could be an option for Koeman. However, he played his last match for Ajax on February 11. This also applies to him: a place in the European Championship selection without playing minutes is unlikely.

Justin Bijlow

Justin Bijlow has not played a match since the beginning of February. Due to a calf injury, the Feyenoord goalkeeper not only missed the necessary club matches, but also the opportunity to show himself to Koeman during the international match in March. Timon Wellenreuther is doing excellently as a replacement and so the question remains whether Bijlow will still make enough playing minutes in the run-up to the European Championship. Traveling to Germany without any game rhythm is not an obvious choice, not even as the third choice in the goalkeepers’ guild.

Jurrien Timber

Jurriën Timber made his return on Monday in a match for the Arsenal Under 21 team and even scored an unprecedented score. A wonderful moment for the defender, who tore his cruciate ligament at the start of the season and has been recovering since then. Timber was a permanent fixture under Louis van Gaal, but due to circumstances he only played one international match in Koeman’s second period as national coach. Whether Koeman dares to take the defender to Germany without a playing rhythm remains to be seen, because he has been sidelined for a very long time.