Jurrien Timber has been ruled out of the World Cup due to a groin injury but there is still no room for Jeremie Frimpong, with a Sunderland player replacing Timber in the squad instead
21:13, 08 Jun 2026Updated 21:18, 08 Jun 2026
Jeremie Frimpong
Jeremie Frimpong will not be going to the World Cup(Image: AFP or licensors)
Jeremie Frimpong has suffered a further blow to his international prospects after once again being overlooked for a spot in the Netherlands squad.
Frimpong was absent from Ronald Koeman's initial 26-man squad when it was named last month.
Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber was named, but has since withdrawn through injury, but that has not been enough to make space for Frimpong, as Koeman has called up Sunderland's Lutsharel Geertruida in Timber's place instead,
"Over the last couple of days, we'd already had the feeling that this would be the decision. In the end, we sat down with Jurriën late last night and again this morning, and unfortunately we had to make this decision," Koeman said to Dutch broadcaster NOS.
"With Jurrien in the squad, we have eight defenders; without him, there are seven, and that's not enough. So you have to make a decision. We had Geertruida with the squad right up until the match against Algeria, so it wouldn't be too much of a struggle to bring him in.
"We didn't wait any longer because his situation wasn't expected to improve any time soon."
Geertruida is a specialist right-back, so he makes sense as a like-for-like replacement for Timber, whereas Frimpong has made the majority of his 15 international appearances playing either as a right midfielder or a right winger.
After announcing the Netherlands' squad at the end of May, Koeman explained his decision to omit Frimpong from the squad.
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"It is the pattern of this season that he has been injured regularly," Koeman said. Frimpong limped off for the Netherlands during the last international break and has had multiple periods on the sidelines for his club too.
"I also chose someone else as right winger," Koeman added, referring to West Ham forward Crysencio Summerville. "That is no surprise to me, because I wanted to select him back in March.
"I like those kinds of players who are reliable in their football. He can play very well on the right side as well, but his work ethic is excellent."