The Netherlands’ Euro 2020 campaign has been hit with a major setback as Frenkie de Jong has been ruled out of the tournament. The talented midfielder, who plays for Barcelona, suffered a right ankle injury in April during a match against Real Madrid. Despite his injury, de Jong was included in Ronald Koeman’s initial squad for the Euros, with hopes that he would recover in time to participate in the tournament.
Disappointment for De Jong
Unfortunately, the Dutch Football Federation confirmed that de Jong had lost the race against time to regain fitness for the Euros. De Jong expressed his disappointment on social media, stating that while he had been working hard to recover, his ankle needed more time to heal. With 54 caps for his country, de Jong was looking forward to representing the Netherlands on the big stage, but will now have to support his team from the sidelines.
After learning of de Jong’s unavailability for the Euros, Ronald Koeman criticized Barcelona’s handling of the midfielder’s injuries throughout the season. Koeman expressed his frustration with the club taking unnecessary risks with de Jong’s fitness, which ultimately led to the player missing out on the tournament. De Jong’s absence will be a significant loss for the Netherlands, as he is a key player in the team’s midfield.
Following his exclusion from the Euro 2020 squad, de Jong will return to Barcelona to continue his rehabilitation and recovery. Meanwhile, Koeman will have to make a decision on whether to call up a replacement for de Jong. The Netherlands will have to regroup quickly and adapt to de Jong’s absence as they prepare for their upcoming matches in the tournament. Despite this setback, the Dutch team will be looking to put in strong performances and compete at the highest level in Euro 2020.
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