Memphis Depay pulls out of Netherlands squad ahead of Nations League finals
Due to an injury, Memphis Depay has pulled out of the upcoming Nations League finals, and the final Netherlands squad has been reduced by removing Daley Blind and Tijjani Reijnders.
Last week, Manager Ronald Koeman selected 26 players for the finals, but he had to reduce the number to 23 by midnight on Monday for the four-team tournament that the Dutch are hosting. The team will play against Croatia, who reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, in the first semi-final on June 14 in Rotterdam.
In March, Memphis sustained a hamstring injury while playing for the European Championship qualifier international match against Gibraltar. This injury caused him to be out of play for over a month. He later returned to play in LaLiga and scored a goal, but unfortunately, he suffered a calf injury during training, which has prevented him from playing since then.
Depay, who has scored 44 goals in 88 games for the Netherlands, has faced difficulties with injuries in recent times. He suffered a severe knee injury towards the end of 2019, which kept him out of action for almost seven months. Additionally, he was absent from Barcelona for almost three months last season due to injuries in his thigh, Achilles tendon, and hamstring.
The Dutch have initiated their arrangements for the competition, which involves a match between Italy and Spain in the other semi-final on June 15 and the final games on June 18, by commencing a training camp on Monday.
All of the players who were summoned were present except for Nathan Ake and Denzel Dumfries, who will be competing against each other in the Champions League final this Saturday.
Full Netherlands Squad
Goalkeepers: Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord), Mark Flekken (SC Freiburg), Andries Noppert (Heerenveen)
Defenders: Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Sven Botman (Newcastle United), Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan), Lutsharel Geertruida (Feyenoord), Tyrell Malacia (Manchester United), Jurrien Timber (Ajax Amsterdam), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta), Joey Veerman (PSV Eindhoven), Mats Wieffer (Feyenoord), Georginio Wijnaldum (AS Roma)
Forwards: Steven Bergwijn (Ajax Amsterdam), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Noa Lang (Club Brugge), Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund), Xavi Simons (PSV Eindhoven), Wout Weghorst (Manchester United).
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