Hard tackle by Saša Lukic puts Dutch striker Cody Gakpo out early

Netherlands' Cody Gakpo already in the first minutes badly twisted his ankle when Saša Lukic made a hard sliding tackle. The Liverpool forward immediately limped, left the field injured and was shortly afterwards replaced by Ruben van Bommel in the Nations League match.

Hard tackle and yellow card

The foul occurred in the 12th minute, when Saša Lukic broke into the midfield circle in the area of the Serbian defender. Lukic first played the ball, but then made a hard sliding tackle that struck Gakpo hard. The referee gave Lukic a yellow card for the challenge.

Cody Gakpo immediately limped and could not continue the match. He left the field injured himself, after which national team coach Xavi Hernández responded immediately. He brought on Ruben van Bommel, the left winger from PSV, as a substitute, a change he described as logical.

With this injury Gakpo joins an already extensive injury list of Netherlands attackers. Donyell Malen, Justin Kluivert and Brian Brobbey had already dropped out earlier in this international window. In addition, Xavi Simons has been sidelined for a longer period with a knee injury, further reducing the options.

Netherlands kick off the Nations League in Serbia under Xavi's guidance

Gakpo's injury and consequences for the Netherlands

Gakpo had just provided the equaliser against Germany, delivering an assist for the late 1‑1 on Thursday. Ruben van Bommel also impressed in his Netherlands debut with an assist for that same equaliser. The match was played in Belgrade, where the new international now gets extra time to prove himself.

The severity of Gakpo's injury remains unclear; the medical staff will monitor the situation closely. Without clarity on the recovery period, Xavi's squad for the upcoming Nations League matches remains uncertain. The coach now has to consider alternative options.

Ruben van Bommel meets Stankovic brothers at Serbia international

This incident highlights the vulnerability of the Dutch attack line in the Nations League. With several key players out of rotation, the Netherlands must remain creative to stay competitive against Serbia and other opponents.