Some discomfort in the hamstrings due to the Clásico have prevented Frenkie de Jong from attending the Netherlands for the two qualifying matches for Euro 2026 against France and Gibraltar. So, The Barcelona footballer has not been able to attend Ronald Koeman’s first list As the new Oranje coach and, after undergoing an MRI, the 25-year-old midfielder will stay in Barcelona recovering from his physical problems.
A more than noticeable drop for the Netherlands which, after its great performance in Qatar reaching the quarterfinals at the controls of Van Gaal, He is now starting a new journey with Koeman at the helm, in his second spell as the Dutch coach. Who will be from the game will be a Memphis Depay who has recovered his smile under the orders of Diego Pablo Simeone and, in a statement to USspoke about the loss of his ex-partner for these two vital meetings.
“It bothers me that Frenkie de Jong is not here. For me, for the coach, for the entire squad and for the country. He is one of our key players.”, commented the Moordrecht attacker. Teammates at the Barça club for a season and a half, Memphis revealed a call with De Jong to inquire about his physical problems. “I called him, it is not a serious injury and he will recover quickly. I’m close to him and I’m disappointed.”confessed the 29-year-old attacker.
This way, Memphis will now match again under the orders of a Ronald Koeman who emerged as the main culprit for the former Barcelona player to stop in Barcelona before heading to Atlético de Madrid in the last winter market. “Simeone gave me a lot of energy from the first moment we were together. He wanted to see Lyon’s Memphis again, the one who led the team as captain, but who also scored goals. He told me: “I want to see that’”. Finally, the one from Moordrecht was also full of praise for his new teammate in the Spanish capital. “I know Griezmann. Believe me, he is a very special player that France needs, apart from a fantastic person”.