Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal is intrigued to see how his side cope without top scorer Robin van Persie in their upcoming friendlies with Japan and Colombia.
- By Michael Bell
- Follow Michael on Twitter
The Manchester United forward pulled out of the squad with groin and foot injuries early in the week, leaving Siem de Jong, and Jeremain Lens as the only options up front.
Coach Louis van Gaal is interested to see how others will step up in Van Persie’s absence, especially with Klaas jan Huntelaar, and Ricky van Wolfswinkel also unavailable.
He told a press conference, “It will be interesting to see how we manage without Van Persie. We have to show how we are when he’s not available. That could always be a scenario in Brazil.”
“Because Van Wolfswinkel and Huntelaar are injured, we don’t have many strikers. They are the ones behind Van Persie, but that can change if someone steps up now.
“Siem de Jong is a back-up plan in case of emergency, just like he is at Ajax. Lens is also an option as central striker, especially when we come ahead in a match. It’s nice to experience something like this so we can solve a problem.”
Follow
Follow @Footballoranje_ on Twitter
