Frenkie De Jong Set To Return For Netherlands In Nations League Despite Not Being At Peak Performance

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Frenkie de Jong is set to rejoin the Netherlands squad for their Nations League match against Hungary. Ronald Koeman, who has called up the Barcelona midfielder after a 14-month absence due to an ankle injury, noted that De Jong is not yet at his peak performance. Despite making seven appearances for Barcelona this season, De Jong was substituted during their 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad.

Koeman clarified that De Jong's recent substitution was not due to his ankle but rather a shin issue, which is not serious. "I got in touch pretty quickly. Then it became clear that it wasn't about his ankle," Koeman explained. He added that De Jong might need individual training but should be ready for Saturday's game.

De Jong is among three players returning to Koeman's team, alongside Noa Lang from PSV Eindhoven and Devyne Rensch from Ajax. However, Memphis Depay was not included in the squad. Depay played in all six of the Netherlands' Euro 2024 matches, scoring once and assisting once as they reached the semi-finals.

Depay recently joined Corinthians in Brazil, where he has scored three goals in ten appearances. Koeman cited fitness issues as the reason for Depay's exclusion but mentioned that he could return next year if his condition improves. "Memphis is not good enough and fit enough in my opinion," Koeman stated.

The Netherlands will host Hungary at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Saturday before playing Bosnia and Herzegovina three days later. Currently second in Group A3 with five points from four matches, Koeman's team needs two wins to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Despite De Jong's return to play, Koeman acknowledged that he hasn't yet regained the form that helped the Netherlands reach the 2018-19 Nations League final. "It's clear that he's been out for a long time and hasn't played a whole game yet," Koeman remarked.

Koeman remains optimistic about De Jong's importance to the team despite his current form. "But it's so important for us that he's there," he emphasized. The coach also expressed confidence in Depay's potential return if he continues improving his fitness.