Here’s Ronald Koeman’s straightforward answer when asked why Jeremie Frimpong won’t be heading to the World Cup: “Because of what I saw.”
Ronald Koeman gave a straightforward but honest explanation for leaving Liverpool star Jeremie Frimpong out of his World Cup squad.
As the Dutch national team manager for the second time, Koeman revealed his 26-man squad on Wednesday, which includes 14 players from the Premier League. Virgil van Dijk will lead the team as captain, along with players like Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber, Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven, and Manchester City’s Tijjani Reijnders and Nathan Ake.
Brighton’s goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen is expected to start, with Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey, Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert, and Chelsea’s Jorrel Hato also making the team. Liverpool is represented by Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch, but surprisingly, Frimpong was left out.
Frimpong, who has played 15 times for the Netherlands, was disappointed to miss out. Koeman explained it was because of Frimpong’s ongoing injury issues during the season. “I didn’t pick Frimpong because of what I saw this season,” Koeman said in a press conference. “He had several physical problems. Remember the friendly against Ecuador in March—he came on at halftime but soon had to come off injured. I had to make a choice, so I picked someone else for the right side.”
The player Koeman chose instead is Mats Wieffer from Brighton. Although he can play in defensive midfield, Koeman sees Wieffer more as a defender and someone who can contribute in attack from the full-back position. “Wieffer is on the list as a defender. With Frimpong’s problems, I chose him because he’s been performing well at Brighton,” Koeman added.
Other players like Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton), Robin Roefs (Sunderland), and Crysencio Summerville (West Ham) also made the squad. Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong will be a key player in midfield, while Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries will cover the right side. Memphis Depay, who now plays in Brazil for Corinthians, is included, but Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee and Burnley’s Zian Flemming did not make the cut.
Here’s the squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton), Robin Roefs (Sunderland), Mark Flekken (Bayer Leverkusen)
Defenders: Jurrien Timber (Arsenal), Micky van de Ven (Tottenham), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Jorrel Hato (Chelsea), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton)
Midfielders: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Quinten Timber (Marseille), Guus Til (PSV), Mats Wieffer (Brighton)
Forwards: Brian Brobbey (Sunderland), Memphis Depay (Corinthians), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Noa Lang (Galatasaray), Donyell Malen (Roma), Crysencio Summerville (West Ham), Wout Weghorst (Ajax)
Before the World Cup, the Netherlands will play warm-up games against Algeria and Uzbekistan. The tournament includes 48 teams, and the Dutch are in Group F with Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia. Their first match is on June 14 against Japan in Arlington, Texas. Then, they face Sweden on June 20 in Houston and Tunisia on June 26 in Kansas City.