Viral infection haunts Oranje. As a result the Netherlands cannot rely on Sven Botman, Cody Gakpo, Matthijs de Ligt, Joey Veerman and Bart Verbruggen on Friday during the match with France in the European Championship qualification. They are suffering from a virus infection.
Five players go home immediately
The match with France is the start of the European Championship qualification campaign for the Netherlands. The Koeman team is further divided into Group B with Gibraltar, Greece and Ireland. The numbers one and two qualify for the final round in Germany next year, while three tickets can also be earned through the play-offs.
Koeman received a message from the federal doctor at ten past seven this morning that five internationals were ill. “I don’t think I cursed, but I was shocked,” the national coach looked back on the course of events. Then he dressed quickly and went downstairs. “I still saw Joey Veerman, he was waiting for a taxi. Sven Botman had already left. Then you get to hear the whole story and you have to act quickly.”
Koeman made the quick calculation that he still had twenty players left. “But you also miss a third keeper,” he referred to Verbruggen. “You can’t go into the match with two keepers, that risk is too great.” And so, after consultation with the staff, the national coach called on Kjell Scherpen, Ryan Gravenberch and Stefan de Vrij. Two field players were enough in his eyes. “With Gravenberch and De Vrij there, we have doubled all positions,” he revealed.
Koeman could not yet foresee whether more players might be added after the match against France on Saturday. “The five who have gone home have not yet been eliminated for the entire period. That’s not final. It is not definitive that they will not be added during this period. That depends on how it has developed,” he said in view of the second match in next Monday’s European Championship qualifying series against Gibraltar.
Chicken curry
The suggestion that the chicken curry, which the still fit Virgil van Dijk also ate, was the culprit, Koeman did not want to go along with that. “Of course everyone wants to know where it comes from. That Wednesday night’s court is the culprit, that’s not right. Some staff members were already not completely out of shape on Tuesday. Anyway, it’s speculation and that makes no sense,” said the national coach, who wants to focus on France.
In any case, Koeman will not adjust his system (4-3-3). He revealed, “Of course there were players in these five who probably started in the starting line-up. But luckily I also changed a lot of guys in positions this week, so guys who are going to play because others aren’t there, have also trained in those positions.” When asked if Koeman already knows how he wants to play, he said: “Yes, I’ve figured out how I’m going to do it.”
