National coach Ronald Koeman has called up Calvin Stengs (Feyenoord) for the Dutch team, which will play the European Championship qualifier against France and Greece next week. Goalkeeper Andries Noppert (Heerenveen) will also join the Dutch team in Zeist on Monday.
The personnel changes are related to the withdrawal of the injured Noa Lang and the ill Brentford goalkeeper Mark Fleken. The 30-year-old goalkeeper from Kerkrade was already missing at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, where Brentford were ahead thanks to two late goals from substitute Scott McTominay. lost 2-1 to Manchester United.
Lang fell in the first half on Sunday afternoon out at PSV with a hamstring injury, which won 0-4 at Het Kasteel in Rotterdam and thus took over the top position in the Premier League from AZ. National coach Ronald Koeman already had to make do without a large number of injured players: goalkeeper Justin Bijlow, defenders Matthijs de Ligt, Jurriën Timber and Sven Botman, midfielder Frenkie de Jong and attackers Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay previously dropped out.
Defensive concerns in France
The French team will also not appear at full strength in the European Championship qualifying match against the Dutch team on Friday. Arsenal defender William Saliba has withdrawn with a toe injury after the 1-0 win over Manchester City and will be replaced by Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice. FC Barcelona defender Jules Koundé dropped out on Sunday evening in the league match against Granada (2-2) and may not be able to play.
Saliba played the entire match against Manchester City. That did not apply to Koundé in his match against Granada. He had to be replaced just before half time with a sore knee. There were no major surprises in the final selection of national coach Didier Deschamps. Eye-catcher Kylian Mbappé is there when the Dutch team tries to take revenge for the 4-0 defeat in France in March on Friday evening in Amsterdam.
Stengs’ last playing minutes in the Dutch team date back to March 2021, when they won 0-7 in and against Gibraltar. Stengs played a total of seven times for the Dutch national team. Noppert played his five international matches for the Dutch team at the World Cup in Qatar, where he was unable to prevent elimination in the penalty series in the quarter-finals against future world champion Argentina after the misses by Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis. Noppert was missing in the first international match after the World Cup, in March this year against France (4-0 defeat) and Gibraltar (3-0 win), due to a muscle injury. In the international matches in June (Final Four Nations League) and last month, he was not called up by national coach Ronald Koeman. “If you don’t perform, you’re not there. It’s that simple”, said the 29-year-old and 2.03 meter tall goalkeeper from Friesland on Saturday evening at ESPN, after the 1-1 of his club Heerenveen against NEC.
Who should keep the Dutch team against France and Greece?
- Nick Olij (56%)
- Andries Noppert (16%)
- Bart Verbruggen (28%)
The 24-person selection will gather in Zeist on Monday. On Friday evening, the Dutch team will meet leader France in a sold-out Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam. The match against Greece is scheduled for Monday, October 16, which will be played in the OPAP Arena in Athens, where Ajax drew 1-1 against AEK Athens last Thursday. Both matches start at 8:45 PM.
In group B of the European Championship qualification, the Dutch team now has nine points after four matches, after important victories over Greece (3-0) and Ireland (2-1) last month. France already has six points more after five victories, but the number two in the group also qualifies directly for the 2024 European Championship in Germany. Greece now also has nine points, but has already played one more match.
Final selection
Goalkeepers: Nick Olij (Sparta Rotterdam), Andries Noppert (SC Heerenveen) and Bart Verbruggen (Brighton & Hove Albion).
Defenders: Nathan Aké (Manchester City), Daley Blind (Girona), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries (Internazionale), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Lutsharel Geertruida (Feyenoord), Quilindschy Hartman (Feyenoord), Micky van de Ven ( Tottenham Hotspur) and Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan).
Midfielders: Steven Berghuis (Ajax), Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta), Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Joey Veerman (PSV) and Mats Wieffer (Feyenoord).
Attackers: Steven Bergwijn (Ajax), Brian Brobbey (Ajax), Calvin Stengs (Feyenoord), Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund), Xavi Simons (RB Liepzig) and Wout Weghorst (TSG Hoffenheim).
This is the position in the Dutch group for the European Championship qualification
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