Memphis Depay's omission by national coach Xavi has surprised Eljero Elia. The former winger believes the Netherlands' all-time top scorer should always be in the squad.
"You would expect Xavi to give him a chance. He is much fitter now than he was during the World Cup, I think. And he barely played there as well. Then you simply have to be given the chance," Elia said on Monday on Rondo on Ziggo Sport.
"Can Memphis still be of value to the Netherlands? Yes, absolutely! With all those young lads. He is not the top scorer for nothing," said the former Netherlands international, referring to the Corinthians forward's 55 goals in 112 internationals.
Wim Kieft, another guest on the show, pointed to Depay's fitness issues. "The tragedy surrounding Memphis is of course that he struggled with injuries at all the major tournaments," he said. "'You know that, provided he is fit, you can always fall back on him. It is not the case that Memphis has been written off. But let's first see how the other lads are doing."
Youri Mulder called it a 'strong signal' from Xavi to Memphis. "You will soon be playing a lot of matches, you can rotate a lot as well and on top of that a striker has dropped out," the analyst said, referring to the injured Donyell Malen.
Speaking on Monday at a press moment, Xavi admitted it was difficult to tell Memphis he had been left out of the Netherlands squad. "I know him well. I have a good relationship with him. He took it really brilliantly. He responded very maturely and he fully understood my decision," the national coach said.
Even so, Memphis' absence now does not mean he has already played his last match for the Netherlands. "The door is not closed. Not for Memphis, not for anyone."