Maarten Wijffels of the Algemeen Dagblad believes that Marten de Roon will return to the Netherlands national team squad. According to him, the experienced defensive midfielder is now in contention following Jerdy Schouten’s failure to make the World Cup squad.
The latter experienced an absolute nightmare scenario last weekend. During the Eredivisie clash with FC Utrecht, the PSV captain went down in agony.
He had to be carried off on a stretcher, and medical examinations revealed that Schouten had torn his cruciate ligament. As a result, he will be out for at least nine months and is certain to miss the World Cup.
Wijffels suspects that national team manager Ronald Koeman will fill the vacancy by selecting De Roon. The 35-year-old midfielder, who is also captain of Atalanta, often plays in the same position.
“Tragedy involving Jerdy Schouten brings Marten de Roon back into the Oranje World Cup picture, just watch,” headlines the AD. “He is a player who knows the position well, having played in several major tournaments. Someone who has been a reliable soldier in 42 international matches.”
"Koeman knows De Roon: he’s fit, knows the squad, knows the pressure, knows the dynamics of a World Cup. And he’ll also be there for the squad as a substitute. His name has already come up in regular coaching staff meetings with the Oranje in recent weeks," says Wijffels.
In his article, the journalist quotes earlier comments by Koeman. "Marten de Roon still crosses my mind from time to time," the manager admitted in the run-up to the most recent friendly internationals.