Change of international break plans for Aston Villa LB Maatsen | OneFootball

Many noticed the Dutch senior team's exclusion of Aston Villa defender Ian Maatsen. At the time, understandably not happy about the decision, the 23-year-old understood the need to make the most of the opportunity that he was given. Slovakia hosts the U-21 Euro Championship this year, and the LB was to feature as a key piece of the side, aiming to bring the trophy home for the Netherlands.

The plan for him was to do well against the younger competition and continue to impress under Unai Emery enough to warrant his preferred call-up next time. Instead, he is fortunate to only have a short-lived spell of patience asked of him.

Arsenal defender Jurriën Timber will miss the second leg between Holland and Spain due to an illness. This has resulted in Maatsen being picked to fill in the vacant roster spot. Jorrel Hato also picked up a red card in the 2-2 draw. Increasingly, signs are pointing to the Aston Villa player getting a good run of playing time against the Spaniards. The AVFC left-back will make the senior team squad for the second leg of the Nations League quarter-final.

This marks the second time in less than a calendar year in which Maatsen received an unexpected senior team inclusion. For Euro 2024, he was famously on vacation before needing to make the trip to Germany. Now, while getting ready for under-21 friendlies, he is now being asked to shift gears and prepare for one of the better European sides instead.

The Spanish attack offers a lot of quality up front. As a left-back, Maatsen is likely to have a chance to showcase his skill and talent against the likes of Lamine Yamal or Nico Williams if the two switch during the run of play.

Regardless of who the specific matchups end up being, going from lesser U-21 competition to being featured in one of the highlight games of the week is a significant step up. Aston Villa fans will be eager to see how the Oranje player fares, especially if he's forced to defend against some of the more talented attackers in the world.