Coach Ronald Koeman has called up goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen on Monday for the start of the World Cup qualification against Finland (June 7) and Malta (June 10). First keeper Bart Verbruggen, Brian Brobbey, Kenneth Taylor, Teun Koopmeiners and Jurriën Timber are missing from the selection.
Scherpen, who plays for Austrian Sturm Graz, is one of the three keepers in the 23-man team, alongside Mark Flekken and Nick Olij.
Brobbey’s absence may be related to the European Championship of Young Oranje. The same applies to Kenneth Taylor, who was also not called up. The European Championship selection of Young Oranje will be announced at 3 p.m.
The Oranje squad will gather in Zeist on Tuesday, June 3, after which the World Cup qualification will start on Saturday, June 7 with an away match in Helsinki against Finland. Three days later, Malta will be the opponent in Groningen.
Oranje is in group G. Group matches were already played in March, while the Netherlands were eliminated by Spain in the quarter-finals of the Nations League. Poland is now in the lead with six points from two matches. The number one qualifies directly for the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico and a second place is good for a place in the play-offs.
Nathan Aké (Manchester City), Memphis Depay (Corinthians), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries (Inter), Mark Flekken (Brentford), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Lutsharel Geertruida (RB Leipzig), Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Jorrel Hato (Ajax), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton & Hove Albion), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Noa Lang (PSV), Donyell Malen (Aston Villa), Nick Olij (Sparta Rotterdam), Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan), Kjell Scherpen (Sturm Graz), Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig), Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur), Stefan de Vrij (Inter), Wout Weghorst* (Ajax) and Mats Wieffer (Brighton & Hove Albion).