Depay despite injury in the “Orange” team

The Netherlands heads to Qatar for the World Cup with striker Memphis Depay. There was a question mark behind the use of the FC Barcelona striker due to his injury. Bonds coach Louis van Gaal hopes the 28-year-old striker will be fit in time for the opening match against Senegal on November 21. 19-year-old Xavi Simmons will also be on board. Eindhoven midfielder has not yet played for his country.

Depay did not play until 150 minutes for Barcelona this season, at the end of September he limped off the field due to a thigh injury in the Nations League match that was held in “Orange” against Poland. However, Van Gaal has always insisted that he will stay with the striker as long as he has a chance to play. Goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen is not there. The 33-year-old returned to his home in Nijmegen from Valencia in the summer to stand a chance of qualifying for the World Cup.

“On average, this team is more talented than the team with which we finished third in Brazil in 2014,” said Van Gaal. “However, we clearly lack the exceptional individual quality of players like Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie.” Ambitions remain high. “The players and I want to be world champions,” the 71-year-old said. After Senegal, the Netherlands meet Ecuador and host Qatar in Group A.

26 players from the Netherlands squad

Goal: Justin Bigelow (Fyenoord), Anders Neubert (Heerenveen), Rimko Pasvir (Ajax Amsterdam)

defense: Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan), Jeremy Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich), Terrell Malacia (Manchester United), Jorian Timber (Ajax), Stefan De Vrij (Inter Milan), Daley Blind (Ajax)

Midline: Stephen Burgess (Ajax), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Davy Klassen (Ajax), Teon Kompeneres (Atalanta), Martin de Ron (Atalanta), Xavi Simmons (PSV Eindhoven), Kenneth Taylor (Ajax)

attacks: Steven Bergwijn (Ajax), Memphis Depay (Barcelona), Cody Jacobo (BSV), Vincent Janssen (Antwerp), Luc de Jong (PSV Eindhoven), Noa Lang (Club Brugge), and Wut Wijhurst (Besiktas).