Japan captain Endo out as Verbruggen panic fades

Verbruggen injury storm calms down

The uproar over Bart Verbruggen's hip injury has been overblown. Despite a media frenzy in the Dutch camp ahead of the Japan clash, there is widespread disbelief at how the situation has been handled in the Oranje setup. Arjen Robben's name has been dragged into the conversation as the discussion around the goalkeeper's fitness intensifies (1). The good news: Verbruggen remains available and the panic appears to be more noise than substance.

Japan captain Endo out of World Cup

Japan have lost their captain Wataru Endo to injury. He is out of the World Cup entirely and will not face the Netherlands. Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu has called up forward Shuto Machino as his replacement, a curious choice given Endo is a midfielder (2). That is a significant boost for Oranje, Endo is Japan's on-field leader and midfield anchor.

Frenkie de Jong rues missing 100 caps

Frenkie de Jong has opened up about his frustration at missing so many international matches. "I have missed a lot with the Dutch national team, could have been closing in on a hundred," de Jong said (3). The midfielder has been a key figure under Koeman when fit, and his regrets underline just how disruptive his injury absences have been for Oranje over the years.