Veerman drops out of Dutch squad in second injury change

AMSTERDAM : Netherlands midfielder Joey Veerman is the second player to pull out of the squad through injury for their Nations League matches against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Germany.

The 25-year-old, who featured in all six matches for the Dutch at the Euros in Germany as they reached the semi-finals, scored in PSV's Eindhoven's 3-0 win against Go Ahead Eagles on Sunday but came off after 65 minutes with a foot injury.

The Dutch FA (KNVB) said on Monday that Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert, 25, had been called up as his replacement.

Kluivert’s return to the squad puts him in line to add to the two caps he won six years ago.

Earlier on Monday, Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke received a first call up to the squad after Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven was left out.

Van de Ven, 23, trained with Tottenham Hotspur last week but was not included in their matchday squad for Sunday's 2-1 Premier League loss at Newcastle United.

In Spurs’ previous match, a 4-0 home win over Everton on Aug. 24, he appeared to hurt his knee after a tackle and was in some discomfort but able to continue.

The KNVB said Van de Ven was not match fit and therefore was being replaced by the 24-year-old Van Hecke.

The Netherlands host Bosnia & Herzegovina in Eindhoven on Saturday and Germany at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam three days later at the start of their Nations League campaign.

(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken Ferris)