ZEIST, Netherlands (AP) – Netherlands’ top scorer Memphis Depay has recovered from injury just in time for coach Ronald Koeman to include him in his 26-man squad for the match. world cup next month.
Depay was one of three players who recently returned from injury to be selected by Koeman as manager on Wednesday. That was despite limited playing time before competing in soccer’s global show hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Depay, the Netherlands’ all-time leading scorer with 55 goals, made his first appearance in several weeks for his Brazilian club Corinthians on Sunday after recovering from a thigh injury.
“I wish we could have done it… but it happened sooner,” Koeman said, adding that he would have to “wait and see” how suitable Depay is.
Koeman also has in-form Roma forward Donyell Malen, even if Depay is struggling with fitness.
son of justin kluivert Dutch great Patrick Kluivertwho also just returned to fitness after surgery to repair an injury. knee injury He was selected alongside defender Julian Timber, who has just recently returned to fitness with Arsenal and has just won the Premier League. Timber’s younger brother Quinten also made the team.
Koeman called up one of his debutants, West Ham winger Crisencio Somerville, but surprisingly left out Liverpool wing-back Jeremy Frimpong.
When asked about Somerville’s qualities, Koeman said: “His speed, his action, his ability to play without the ball when defending. He is very reliable.”
MF Xavi Simmons He was ruled out of the competition in April after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the match between Tottenham and Wolverhampton, and central defenders Stefan de Vrij and Matthijs de Ligt are also out with injuries.
inside the bubble
The Netherlands have reached three World Cup finals but have never won international football’s highest award. They lost to then-West Germany in 1974, to hosts Argentina in 1978, and to Spain in 2010 after Andres Iniesta scored late in extra time.
Koeman was realistic about the seventh-placed team’s chances.
“Yes, we are competing to win, but we are very aware of the reality and what other countries can bring. So, yes, nothing is impossible. That is what we are aiming for,” he said. “I’m sure we can go far and we are a difficult team to beat. But we still have a long way to go to win some games against the big powers.”
Koeman said he will stop reading the media and social media while the team is preparing and during competitions.
“You’re in a bubble and you’re focused on performance…everything else that comes from the outside is a distraction,” he said.
And Koeman has said that he does not want to be involved in any other activities other than the team’s media relations at tournaments, no matter who asks him to do so.
“I’m not going to go for photo opportunities with the team because President[Donald]Trump,[Gianni]FIFA president[Gianni]and[Gianni]Infantino want us to stand in front of churches and water and take pictures,” he said. “No, that won’t happen.”
Koeman captained the Netherlands in 1994, the last time the United States hosted the World Cup, when the Netherlands lost 3-2 to eventual champions Brazil in the quarterfinals. He was also part of the team when the Netherlands won their only major international title, the 1988 European Championship.
The Netherlands will open Group F against Japan in Dallas, followed by Sweden and finally Tunisia.
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squad:
Goalkeepers: Mark Frecken (Bayer Leverkusen), Robin Roofs (Sunderland), Bert Verbruggen (Brighton).
Defenders: Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan), Jorel Hut (Chelsea), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton), Micky van de Ven (Tottenham), Julian Timber (Arsenal).
Midfielders: Ryan Graffenbirch (Liverpool), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Tijani Lijnders (Manchester City), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Guus Till (PSV Eindhoven), Quinten Timber (Marseille), Mats Wiefer (Brighton).
Forwards: Brian Brobbey (Sunderland), Memphis Depay (Corinthians), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Noah Lang (Galatasaray), Donyell Malen (Roma), Crisencio Somerville (West Ham), Wout Weghorst (Ajax).
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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
