Ronald Koeman has already finalised the bulk of his World Cup squad. This is according to Valentijn Driessen in his latest column for De Telegraaf. The high-profile journalist also predicts the Netherlands’ starting eleven.
Driessen believes that the friendly internationals against Norway and Ecuador will do little to alter Koeman’s view.
“Provided they are fit, Memphis Depay, Frenkie de Jong and Jurriën Timber – who were absent this week – will simply start in the starting line-up at the World Cup,” he begins his piece.
Driessen is simply not impressed by the ‘reserves’ in the Oranje squad. “Of all the second-choice players, none of them knocked on the door of the Dutch national team’s regulars.”
The journalist even singles out two outliers. “Stefan de Vrij and Nathan Aké performed poorly. In an eleven-a-side match, the two bench players at Internazionale and Manchester City looked very vulnerable defensively.”
“If Koeman were to select players fairly and without bias, he should no longer call up De Vrij (34) and Aké (31),” concludes Driessen.
Finally, Driessen predicts the line-up. He notes that Jan Paul van Hecke and Teun Koopmeiners are close to making the starting eleven.
Valentijn Driessen’s expected starting eleven: Bart Verbruggen; Denzel Dumfries, Jurriën Timber, Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven; Frenkie de Jong, Tijjani Reijnders, Ryan Gravenberch; Donyell Malen, Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo.