Donyell Malen and Justin Kluivert have been ruled out of the Netherlands' upcoming international matches due to injury. Head coach Xavi has called up AZ forward Mexx Meerdink and PSV defender Guus Til as replacements.
The absence of the AS Roma forward and Bournemouth midfielder comes at a key time. The Dutch side currently top their World Cup qualifying group with seven points from three games. Xavi's first match in charge is at home against Germany in the Nations League on Thursday.
Guus Til, the 28-year-old PSV defender, returns after earning eight previous caps. He reacted to the call-up: "Natuurlijk baal ik ervan, het is het grootste dat ik kan bereiken als voetballer. Misschien moet ik er nog meer in schoppen." The 23-year-old AZ forward Mexx Meerdink receives his first senior call-up.
The squad now includes five Eredivisie players. Feyenoord captain Luciano Valente, a two-time international, is also part of the group. Xavi's first selection also marks the return of Joey Veerman and the absence of Memphis Depay.
The Netherlands are unbeaten in their last five matches, with three wins and two draws. Their last result was a 1-1 draw with Morocco at the end of June. The full schedule for the international period can be found on our fixtures page. The lineup for the Germany match will be announced on Thursday.
Further reading: Voetbal International
