Brobbey returns to injury-riddled Netherlands squad, maiden call-up for Kees Smit

[p]Manager Ronald Koeman's options ran thin after a host of stars were hit with injuries, including [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-jong-frenkie/A1F3rz9c/"]Frenkie de Jong[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/roefs-robin/Ao7TtUZn/"]Robin Roefs[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kluivert-justin/fq4lU5sI/"]Justin Kluivert[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/emegha-emanuel/by8Xcffd/"]Emmanuel Emegha[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-ligt-matthijs/hhRKVBXN/"]Matthijs de Ligt[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/summerville-crysencio/EaRET7t6/"]Crysencio Summerville[/a], who Koeman said was in serious contention for a spot in the World Cup squad.[/p][p]All-time top scorer [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/depay-memphis/zo1h8MrD/"]Memphis Depay[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bayer-leverkusen/4jcj2zMd/"]Bayer Leverkusen[/a] keeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/flekken-mark/INE64p13/"]Mark Flekken[/a] have been called up despite physical difficulties. Flekken played his last game for Leverkusen on January 17th, while Depay is struggling with a knee injury that kept him out of Friday's game against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chapecoense-sc/jcQV3XP6/"]Chapecoense[/a]. Arsenal star Jurriën Timber, who was taken off with an injury in Arsenal's 2-1 win against Everton last weekend, also features in Koeman's squad.[/p][p]Noa Lang, who picked up a freak injury during Galatasaray's 4-0 loss at Anfield last Wednesday, was also included. The winger had surgery on his thumb on Thursday, with an official diagnosis of his injury not yet revealed.[/p][embed guid="6dbfdda3-03c0-4594-86db-d224283b29fd" url="https://x.com/AZAlkmaar/status/2034948879805030732?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Meanwhile, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/brobbey-brian/pfAvgQUT/"]Brian Brobbey[/a] returns to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/netherlands/WYintcWb/"]Netherlands[/a] squad for the first time since March 2025, when the 8-time international featured against Spain in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Nations League.[/p][p]50-million-euro rated [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/az-alkmaar/2RxOow1i/"]AZ[/a] talent [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smit-keet/G0KFeND3/"]Kees Smit[/a], who was named Player of the Tournament at last summer's Under-19 European Championships, received his maiden call-up after scoring four goals and assisting a further eight, four of which came in the UEFA Conference League.[/p][p]The Netherlands, who were drawn into Group F with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/japan/ULXPdOUj/"]Japan[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tunisia/QqZVYk95/"]Tunisia[/a], and a European qualifier at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, play friendlies against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] on March 27th and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ecuador/8tbm8Tri/"]Ecuador[/a] on March 31st.[/p][h2]Full squad[/h2][p]Goalkeepers: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verbruggen-bart/6PChQYLj/"]Bart Verbruggen[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bijlow-justin/65xR64Rt/"]Justin Bijlow[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/genoa/d0PJxeie/"]Genoa[/a]), Mark Flekken (Bayer Leverkusen)[/p][p]Defenders: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil van Dijk[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dumfries-denzel/QR0j1ejk/"]Denzel Dumfries[/a] (Inter), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-hecke-jan-paul/WG59HGIH/"]Jan Paul van Hecke[/a] (Brighton), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-vrij-stefan/8Cf0NM4a/"]Stefan de Vrij[/a] (Inter), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ake-nathan/6LBvaQoh/"]Nathan Aké[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/geertruida-lutsharel/zwx6dFjk/"]Lutsharel Geertruida[/a] (Sunderland), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/frimpong-jeremie/SjJ6pCvC/"]Jeremie Frimpong[/a] (Liverpool), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hato-jorrel/nFLCJBzK/"]Jorrel Hato[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/timber-jurrien/hSaoLOM4/"]Jurriën Timber[/a][/p][p]Midfielders: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gravenberch-ryan/Y5aFd8V4/"]Ryan Gravenberch[/a] (Liverpool), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reijnders-tijani/f17EnPl3/"]Tijjani Reijnders[/a] (Manchester City), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/schouten-jerdy/lYVHp6x4/"]Jerdy Schouten[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psv/M9UEHJWi/"]PSV[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/valente-luciano/4j2kSvnC/"]Luciano Valente[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/feyenoord/8zjySeoN/"]Feyenoord[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/koopmeiners-teun/lOCjQkeo/"]Teun Koopmeiners[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/juventus/C06aJvIB/"]Juventus[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/timber-quinten/Ag97KtSd/"]Quinten Timber[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/marseille/SblU3Hee/"]Olympique Marseille[/a]), Kees Smit (AZ), [/p][p]Forwards: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gakpo-cody/pWyuBud0/"]Cody Gakpo[/a] (Liverpool), Memphis Depay ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/corinthians/QBGfQbSe/"]Corinthians[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/malen-donyell/KOdKXsao/"]Donyell Malen[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simons-xavi/noo0L9zk/"]Xavi Simons[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham Hotspur[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/weghorst-wout/tpWMDFoL/"]Wout Weghorst[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ajax/8UOvIwnb/"]Ajax[/a]), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lang-noa/4YZobWel/"]Noa Lang[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/galatasaray/riaqqurF/"]Galatasaray[/a]), Brian Brobbey (Sunderland)[/p][embed guid="9e30465e-8424-4c3e-bc63-676daf37bbf1" url="https://x.com/OnsOranje/status/2034948669493903703?s=20" social-type="twitter" /]