Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman has chosen to take a risk with the fitness of key midfielder Frenkie de Jong and forward Memphis Depay by including them in his final 26-man selection for the European Championship in Germany. Both players have been dealing with injuries recently, but with Uefa expanding squad sizes from 23 to 26 players for the June 14-July 14 finals, Koeman sees it as a risk worth taking as he aims to secure a first continental title for the team since 1988, a tournament in which he participated.
While speaking to reporters, Koeman mentioned that Frenkie de Jong will join the team on Saturday, and the prospects for his participation in the first group match against Poland on June 16 in Hamburg look promising. Koeman acknowledged the challenges of dealing with multiple injuries throughout the cycle and emphasized the difficulty of making choices in such circumstances.
The uncapped left-back Ian Maatsen, who was expected to be part of the squad, did not make the final selection. This decision was influenced by his involvement in the Champions League final, playing for Borussia Dortmund against Real Madrid. Koeman stated that it was a deliberative process to determine the best timing, considering Maatsen's participation in the final, and acknowledged the player's disappointment at not being included in the squad.
The Netherlands squad for the European Championship includes goalkeepers Justin Bijlow, Mark Fleken, and Bart Verbruggen; defenders Nathan Ake, Daley Blind, Stefan de Vrij, Lutsharel Geertruida, Denzel Dumfries, Matthijs de Ligt, Jeremy Frimpong, Micky van de Ven, and Virgil van Dijk; midfielders Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenberch, Teun Koopmeiners, Tijjani Reijnders, Jerdy Schouten, Xavi Simons, Joey Veerman, and Georginio Wijnaldum; and forwards Steven Bergwijn, Brian Brobbey, Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo, Donyell Malen, and Wout Weghorst.
