Dutch lose midfielder Van de Beek

Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek has been ruled out of the Netherlands’ challenge for Euro 2020 because of injury, the national team announced yesterday. “Van de Beek has to let the European Championship pass by. The midfielder is struggling with an injury. As a result, he is not available in time for Euro 2020,” the team tweeted.
Netherland coach Frank de Boer will not name a replacement for the 19-times capped Van De Beek. The 24-year-old started just four Premier League matches for United following his £35mn ($49.5mn) move from Ajax in September. De Boer’s side start their European Championship campaign by hosting Ukraine in Amsterdam on Sunday. They will also face Austria and North Macedonia at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Group C.
De Boer said it would be too disruptive to bring a new player into the squad so close to the European Championship as he attempted to explain a surprise decision not to name a replacement for the injured de Beek.
“To join the squad at this stage of our preparations is not exactly ideal,” he said in a statement issued by the Dutch football association KNVB after a reaction of disbelief to the decision in the media. “We have been on the road for two weeks, and so I don’t like the idea of a new player arriving. I also have enough midfielders in my squad to absorb the blow. Of course, there can always be a situation where I change my mind, but at the moment I prefer to leave the squad as it is. It is always sad when a player has to drop out injured,” De Boer added.
He did get some good news, however, as Matthijs de Ligt rejoined training yesterday. The 21-year-old defender had a groin complaint and sat out Sunday’s warm-up friendly against Georgia and trained on his own on Monday.  He now has just days to prove his fitness before the Dutch open their campaign against the Ukraine in Amsterdam.