Another blow for Oranje: Timber ruled out with injury | OneFootball

Jurriën Timber, Arsenal full-back and Premier League champion, has not recovered from a groin injury and will miss the World Cup. The Netherlands national team confirmed that, despite being included in the 26-man squad, he will not be part of the tournament. Lutsharel Geertruida, from Sunderland, was chosen by coach Ronald Koeman to replace him. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was injured against Uzbekistan.

“The 24-year-old defender has not recovered sufficiently from his groin injury to take part in the World Cup in a medically responsible manner,” began the statement shared by the Dutch team on X. “After consulting with the medical staff, it has been decided that Timber will leave the national team camp in New York after the match against Uzbekistan,” it concluded.

The statement shared by the Netherlands on its X account to announce Jurrien Timber’s withdrawal

Although he established himself as one of the best full-backs in the Premier League this season, he missed the end of Arsenal’s title push due to injury. The player returned a few days ago in the Champions League final against PSG, a match in which he played 55 minutes.

However, he did not fully recover, and that ultimately ended up ruling him out of the squad that will travel to the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Timber joins Xavi Simons, a key player in Ronald Koeman’s side, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on the eve of the tournament, and Matthijs de Ligt, who underwent surgery due to a series of persistent pains and discomfort in his back.

Timber’s absence adds to another concern for the Netherlands. Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen went off injured in the 2-1 friendly win over Uzbekistan (after taking a blow to the hip in a collision with an opponent), setting off alarm bells.

At the World Cup, the Dutch are in Group F alongside Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia. The Oranje will make their debut against the Asian side next Sunday. Then, on the 20th, they will face the Nordic team, and finally they will close out the group stage against the African side on the 25th.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.