The KNVB is hopeful that Frenkie de Jong will be fit in time for the European Championships in Germany. The midfielder of the Dutch national team suffered an ankle injury on Sunday in Barcelona’s away match against Real Madrid (3-2) in LaLiga. Barcelona reported a day later after further examination that the midfielder had a sprained ankle. According to Spanish media, De Jong will be sidelined for approximately five weeks, but nothing is officially clear about this yet.
“For the time being, there is no reason to assume that he would not make it,” Edwin Goedhart, medical affairs manager of the football association, said during a media meeting in Zeist. The Netherlands will play its first group match against Poland on June 16 and will practice against Canada and Iceland at the beginning of the month. In addition to De Jong, Memphis Depay is also injured. The Atlético Madrid attacker has been struggling with a muscle injury for some time.
Will injured Frenkie de Jong reach the European Championship?
Goedhart does not think it is wise to bring De Jong and Depay to the Netherlands earlier to recuperate here. “We want them to recover as quickly as possible. Group training is very important in that respect. That is why they are better off at their club, enjoying the sun in an environment they know well. If we have doubts about a club’s approach to the rehabilitation process, it becomes a different story.”
Also read: Koeman refuses to write off two for the Dutch ‘already’
The KNVB assumes that the selection for the upcoming European Championships in Germany may consist of 26 instead of 23 players. The initiative for a broader selection comes from Ronald Koeman. The Dutch national coach believes a selection of 26 players is necessary because players can become injured in the run-up to the European Championship, partly due to overload. Koeman received support from other national coaches and UEFA is now changing tack.
Also read: Eight Dutch players may or may not make it to the European Championship
Koeman has also been critical of the increasingly full playing calendars on several occasions. According to Goedhart, there is a causal relationship. “We as doctors have been thinking for thirty years that things could be done a little less. Top football is increasingly becoming a survival of the fittest. In general, the number of injuries is not increasing, but we are seeing more and more hamstring injuries. And these can often be traced back to overloading players.”
