Netherlands missing Van Dijk and Propper

The Royal Dutch Football Association announced yesterday that captain Virgil van Dijk and striker Brian Brobbie have been withdrawn from the national team squad ahead of its final two group-stage matches in the UEFA Nations League, scheduled for mid-month. Van Dijk played in Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over host Crystal Palace on Sunday, preserving his perfect record of playing every minute of the Premier League season, but the Dutch FA stated he was not fit to participate. Van Dijk’s previous international appearance, a 2-1 win over Serbia in October, marked his 100th cap at the international level. Meanwhile, Brobbie featured in Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday, but the Dutch FA said he was also not ready. Brobbie started in the 1-1 draw with Germany at the beginning of the Nations League campaign in September, but was forced off after just over half an hour due to injury, causing him to miss subsequent matches against Serbia twice and Greece.