Koeman says Timber's World Cup place in doubt

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman says Jurrien Timber's chances of making the World Cup are uncertain because of injury. He is more hopeful Memphis Depay will return in time after missing matches for Corinthians.

AMSTERDAM: Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman has said defender Jurrien Timber is facing an uncertain race to be fit for the World Cup, while expressing hope that striker Memphis Depay will recover in time for next month's tournament.

Koeman said Timber, who plays for Arsenal, has been out since mid-March because of a groin problem and his prospects of making the Dutch squad remain unclear. Speaking to Dutch television on Monday, the Netherlands coach described the defender's recovery as difficult and ongoing.

Koeman said:

Jurrien has been dealing with this for quite some time. It has been a rollercoaster ride.

He added that Timber had resumed training in an effort to be available for major upcoming matches, but suggested the outlook was not encouraging.

Koeman said:

He is training again to see if he can make the Champions League final, and be available for the World Cup, but it does not look rosy at the moment.

Depay expected back before tournament

Koeman was more optimistic about Depay, saying he expects the forward to return to action in the coming weeks before linking up with the national side. The 32-year-old, who holds the Netherlands scoring record with 55 goals, has not featured for Corinthians since suffering a thigh injury at the end of March.

Koeman said Depay still has three matches with the Brazilian club before the Dutch squad assembles and stressed the importance of playing time ahead of the tournament.

He said:

He still has three matches with Corinthians before we get together as the Dutch national team.

Koeman added:

He really needs to get minutes in those matches. I assume that ⁠will happen, and if everything goes well, he might even play 90 minutes in the final match. After that, we still have two weeks until our ⁠first World Cup match against Japan.

Injuries affect Dutch preparations

The Netherlands are already without three players for the World Cup because of injuries. Defender Matthijs de Ligt, midfielder Jerdy Schouten and forward Xavi Simons will all miss the tournament.

The Dutch side have been drawn in Group F, where they are due to face Japan, Sweden and Tunisia.

Koeman, who has yet to announce his World Cup squad, also spoke positively about the team's overall quality in an interview with FIFA published on Monday. He said the Netherlands may not be widely regarded as one of the leading contenders for the title, but maintained the squad has the ability to beat any opponent.

Koeman said:

People may not see us as one of the favourites to win the World Cup. But the strength of the Netherlands is that we can beat anyone because the ability is there in our squad.

The 63-year-old returned for a second spell as Netherlands coach in 2023 after Louis van Gaal guided the team to the quarter-finals at the previous World Cup in Qatar.

Koeman also said: