The Netherlands are set to visit Ta’ Qali National Stadium for their upcoming World Cup qualifier against Malta on Thursday evening.
Netherlands Team News
The Dutch squad has received a setback as striker Mexx Meerdink has withdrawn due to an injury sustained just two days into his initial international call-up. The AZ Alkmaar forward will not be replaced.
Adding to the challenges, Memphis Depay will miss the match after his passport was reportedly stolen while he was in Brazil. Depay, who recently broke Robin van Persie’s Netherlands goal record, arrived late to training and will be absent for this fixture.
Ronald Koeman has made several alterations to the squad, excluding Matthijs de Ligt, Noa Lang, and Sem Steijn. Meanwhile, Quilindschy Hartman and Jeremie Frimpong have been recalled to inject fresh energy into the team.
The Oranje have made a strong start to their qualifying campaign, collecting 10 points from four matches to sit joint-top of Group G. Ronald Koeman’s side has been prolific in attack, netting 14 goals in their qualifying fixtures, including an emphatic 8-0 victory over Malta in the reverse fixture.
However, September’s international window raised concerns. After a 1-1 home draw with Poland, Netherlands nearly suffered embarrassment in Lithuania, surrendering a 2-0 lead before Depay’s winner secured a 3-2 victory. Despite these scares, they remain unbeaten in 13 World Cup qualifiers.
Netherlands Predicted Lineup
Possible Netherlands starting XI: Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders; Simons, Malen, Gakpo
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 7:45pm BST on Thursday 9th October.
How to Watch Malta vs Netherlands?
UK viewers can watch the game on Amazon Prime Video as a pay-per-view service.
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