1988 champions Netherlands start their Euro 2020 campaign against Ukraine next week but they could be without two players for the game due to injury.
Juventus player De Ligt picked up a groin injury in training on Saturday, while Manchester United player Van De Beek is also injured. The two ex-Ajax stars trained away from the rest of the squad by the time the Dutch training session ended on Saturday thereby making them doubts for the Ukraine game on Sunday. The Netherlands will also face Austria and debutants North Macedonia in Group C.
Netherlands manager Frank De Boer is already without star defender Virgil Van Dijk for the Euro 2020 tournament as he opted to stay at home and regain full fitness ahead of the new season later this year after missing almost a year of football action due to a serious knee injury. The injury to wonderkid De Ligt would be a blow though the centre back department is the strongest for De Boer and the Netherlands.
Manchester City player Nathan Ake, Brighton and Hove Albion star Joel Veltman, Daley Blind of Ajax Amsterdam and Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij are all good centre back options.
The injury to Manchester United midfielder Van De Beek would be a lesser blow in comparison to that of De Ligt as he’s already down the midfield pecking order after an underwhelming debut season at Old Trafford following his big money transfer from Ajax Amsterdam last summer. He made 17 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions in his first season at the club. Van De Beek spent the majority of the season on the Manchester United bench. Georginio Wijnaldum, Ryan Gravenberch and Martin De Roon and Frenkie De Jong are all ahead of him in midfield.