Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris wants to discuss striker Brian Brobbey's availability with the Dutch football association ahead of the upcoming international break. The coach is keen to manage the workload of the forward, who has just returned from a hamstring injury sustained on Netherlands duty.
Brobbey picked up the injury during the previous international window in Oranje's match against Germany. He was sidelined for over a month and only made his comeback last weekend in Sunderland's draw with Leeds United. Le Bris stated the striker is not yet fully match-fit after those 65 minutes. "He's close, but it's important to look at his load capacity," said the manager.
The next international break starts in just over a week. The Netherlands have Nations League fixtures against Greece on 13 November and Germany on 16 November. The Dutch side enters this period unbeaten in their last four matches, with two wins and two draws. Their most recent victory was a 2-1 win over Serbia on 4 October, with goals from Teun Koopmeiners and Joshua Zirkzee. Across the four recent results, which included a 2-2 draw with Greece and a 1-1 with Germany, the team remained undefeated.
Le Bris stressed he cannot force players to stay home but wants to exchange ideas about scheduling. "We want to handle the players' load intelligently," he explained. "If he isn't fit enough to play here, then he can't for the Netherlands either, for example." Sunderland are bottom of the Premier League and face a busy schedule after the break with Europa League and domestic cup matches.
The national team coaches must select an attacking line for the games against Greece and Germany from a group that recently saw goals from Joshua Zirkzee and Tijjani Reijnders. Zirkzee scored in the 2-1 win over Serbia, while Reijnders found the net both against Serbia and in the 2-2 draw with Greece. The first meeting with Greece this season ended 2-2. The return fixture is on 13 November at home.
Further reading: Voetbal International
