Netherlands Boss On Inter Milan Center-Back Omission: “Wasn’t Ready” | OneFootball

Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman has offered a reasonable explanation for the omission of Inter Milan star Stefan de Vrij from his Nations League squad.

During his latest interview, as reported by FCInterNews, Koeman addressed De Vrij’s absence from his squad list for the upcoming games against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Germany.

Stefan de Vrij was a regular starter for the Dutch national team at EURO 2024.

He and Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk formed the backbone of the Netherlands’ defense.

Therefore, Koeman’s decision to leave him out of his Nations League squad in September caught the Dutch faithful by surprise.

However, the experienced tactician’s choice has a perfectly reasonable explanation.

De Vrij returned from the summer tournament with an injury. As a result, he was on the sidelines for the opening two Serie A matches this term.

Inter manager Simone Inzaghi included the 32-year-old in his matchday squad last weekend.

The Nerazzurri trounced Atalanta 4-0 at Giuseppe Meazza. Yet, De Vrij spent the whole game on the bench.

Netherlands Boss Ronald Koeman Explains Why He Left Inter Milan Star Stefan de Vrij Out of His Squad

Despite recovering from injury, De Vrij is still not 100% ready. Otherwise, he would’ve probably played against La Dea.

With that in mind, Koeman’s decision makes perfect sense.

“He was not called up because of his fitness,” the ex-Barcelona manager said. “He was out for four or five weeks, he is not ready.”

The international break gives De Vrij more time to heal and bring his match fitness to an optimal level.

If the final phase of his recovery goes smoothly, he should return to the starting line-up when Inter take on Monza on September 15.

Even in De Vrij’s absence, Inzaghi’s formidable backline fared well.

After conceding twice against Genoa on day one, the Italian champions kept consecutive clean sheets against Lecce and Atalanta.