Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman believes the postponing of the European Championships would have been a big blow for Memphis Depay.
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The forward suffered a cruciate ligament injury in December playing for Lyon, but was determined to regain his fitness in time for the European Championships.
Speaking to RTL talk show Beau, Koeman stated he was confident Memphis would have been fit if the Euro’s would have taken place this summer, “Memphis would have been fit for the European Championship. Many people had reservations, but he would have been fit. He was so focused!
“When it was announced that the European Championship was not going through, he had a hard time, for two weeks. He was working on that all along. “
Koeman sees advantages in the Euro’s being pushed back to next year, “Memphis, Bergwijn and Malen were injured. Perhaps you will have other injuries by then, let’s not hope. But you wouldn’t have been with your best selection.”
Koeman is confident looking ahead at the tournament but would not say Netherlands are favourites, “We have a good team, but to have a chance to win a final tournament, everyone has to be on top form. And you are not yet that when you are nineteen years old. “
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