Preliminary selection for Oranje

Ronald Koeman announced the preliminary selection of the Dutch national team for the Nations League matches against Spain on Friday. The national coach was in Brazil this week and has decided to put Memphis Depay back on the list.

Memphis has been absent from the Dutch national team since the European Championship and did not participate in the group stage of the Nations League. The 31-year-old attacker was without a club for a while after his transfer-free departure from Atlético Madrid and joined Corinthians in September. In his first months in Brazilian service, Memphis showed that he has not forgotten how to score.

Koeman and KNVB director Nigel de Jong saw Memphis up close this week. The Dutch delegation was present at the Corinthians matches against Guarani and Universidad Central. Memphis provided an assist in the Copa Libertadores match against the Venezuelans. Due to his performances in Brazil, a return to the Dutch national team is beckoning.

It is striking that the preliminary selection consists of only 25 players. Koeman has not made room for names such as Joey Veerman (PSV), Joshua Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt (both Manchester United).

MEMPHIS BACK IN ORANGE: ‘HE HAS MET KOEMAN’S CONDITIONS’

In the quarter-finals of the Nations League, the Netherlands will face Spain on Thursday 20 March and Sunday 23 March. First in De Kuip, then in Mestalla. The winner of the double encounter will qualify for the semi-finals. There, Croatia or France await. The final of the Nations League will be played on Sunday 8 June.

THE FULL PRE-SELECTION

Goalkeepers: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton & Hove Albion), Mark Flekken (Brentford), Nick Olij (Sparta Rotterdam)
Defenders: Nathan Aké (Manchester City), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries (Internazionale), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Lutsharel Geertruida (RB Leipzig), Jorrel Hato (Ajax), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton & Hove Albion), Stefan de Vrij (Internazionale), Jurriën Timber (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan), Kenneth Taylor (Ajax), Jerdy Schouten (PSV), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)
Forwards: Brian Brobbey (Ajax), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Noa Lang (PSV), Donyell Malen (Aston Villa), Memphis Depay (Corinthians), Xavi Simons (Leipzig)

MEMPHIS WAY BACK TO ORANJE

Memphis rehabilitated for a while as a clubless player, then moved to Brazil in the fall and picked up the thread again there, for the time being without injuries. In the meantime, Koeman opened the vacancy for a number 9 in Zeist.

Brian Brobbey was given chances, as was Joshua Zirkzee. And last November, Wout Weghorst started in the starting line-up against Hungary. But no one was really convincing. With Weghorst, one of the strikers will now miss the international matches of March 20 and 23 due to an injury.

It will be interesting to see whether they are initially thinking mainly about the short term with him (March and June). Or that – in pencil – a plan has already been made for the period after that, until the 2026 World Cup.

Depay again

Depay again. With all the pluses and minuses that come with him. Because don’t forget: he also didn’t show it at the European Championship. And not before that at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Koeman and Nigel de Jong spoke extensively with Depay in Brazil, also at the club, during a training session.

Depay is joining the team for the first time since the European Championship last summer. Koeman always left the door open for a return of the 98-time international. Depay’s last match for Oranje was on 10 July 2024. Netherlands – England, semi-final of the European Championship. That performance lasted only 35 minutes. Depay dropped out with a hamstring injury, his umpteenth in two years.

If Memphis plays in both matches against Spain, he can reach a special milestone. The veteran has played 98 international matches so far, which means he can reach numbers 99 and 100 in the Nations League. In order to reach another milestone in the next two matches, Memphis will have to keep his sights sharp. The striker is second on the all-time top scorer list behind Robin van Persie. In order to equal the Feyenoord coach, Memphis must score at least four more times. Van Persie now has 50 goals, Memphis has 46.

Different system maybe?

What is also possible is that Koeman sets things up a bit differently for the Dutch team up front. A mobile forward line without a typical centre forward. Gakpo, Xavi Simons, Noa Lang and Justin Kluivert (he is developing spectacularly in England) all have a dribble and speed.

And that can be combined with the depth of a midfielder like Tijjani Reijnders. However, such a switch requires training time, which is actually not available.