Mark van Bommel sees his son benefit from a last‑minute forfeit

Ruben van Bommel came on in the 17th minute of the match in Serbia this Sunday, his second cap with the Oranje, and could earn his first start in Greece after his rival, Cody Gakpo, withdrew. The 22‑year‑old left‑winger, son of Mark van Bommel, has already recorded an assist during his first appearance for the national team.

That same Sunday, he took part in the win over Germany, where he delivered an assist to Cody Gakpo seven minutes after coming on. His start to the season with PSV Eindhoven was described as excellent, boosting the Dutch manager’s interest.

Van Bommel eager to start

The Dutch FA announced on Monday that Cody Gakpo had to withdraw from the rest of the camp and return to Liverpool for treatment. This decision leaves Xavi with two possible replacements: Ruben van Bommel, who appears to be the favourite, and Noa Lang.

Mark van Bommel taps Arsenal and Liverpool to mould Belgium’s Red Devils

Xavi must decide before Thursday

Noa Lang, former Club Brugge player now at Napoli, is also in the mix, but he has seen little playing time this season, having started only twice in Serie A and made just two forward runs. The 27‑year‑old, with 17 caps, remains on the bench for the first two matches and appears to be pushed behind the son of the new Red Devils mentor.

Coach Xavi will therefore have to choose before the next Netherlands match, scheduled for Thursday, taking Lang’s lack of rhythm into account. This decision will determine the line‑up for the trip to Greece.

Xavi considers replacement for injured Gakpo at the Oranje

A tweet from Cody Gakpo, “Take care, Cody 🧡 Gakpo won’t be available for the remainder of this international window and will return to Liverpool”, confirms the player’s unavailability for the rest of the international window.