Chelsea to benefit from Frenkie de Jong's Netherlands injury

Tom Weber

Updated: 11 Jun 2024 06:26 CDT
3 min read

Enzo Maresca, Chelsea, Frenkie de Jong — © IMAGO

Chelsea could stand to benefit from Frenkie de Jong's injury problems.

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The Netherlands midfielder has had to withdraw from the Dutch Euro 2024 squad due to his persistent ankle problems. After dealing with the same injury multiple times during the bygone season, De Jong was deemed not ready to feature at the tournament in Germany.

Holland boss Ronald Koeman subsequently hit out at his former club Barcelona for rushing De Jong back and aggravating the issue. In-demand midfielder Teun Koopmeiners has also had to withdraw, leaving Koeman short on options.

Chelsea left-back Ian Maatsen, who was already on holiday, has therefore been called back up to the squad after being cut from the final roster. The Blues could now stand to benefit massively from De Jong's injury.

Maatsen's price tag to increase

Maatsen and former Man Utd flop Daley Blind are the only traditional left-backs on the Netherlands' Euro 2024 roster, with the latter not starting either of the two preparation games against Canada and Iceland.

Koeman instead opted to play centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Nathan Ake as nominal left-backs. The lack of more traditional options in that department could offer a chance to Maatsen.

While Koeman first and foremost wants his defenders to be solid defensively, the 61-year-old could nevertheless rely on the Chelsea outcast should he need more attacking options.

It is unlikely that Maatsen will suddenly become a starter for Oranje, but he could still boost his value by getting some minutes at the tournament.

This will aid Chelsea in their bid to offload the Dutchman this summer, with Maatsen having spent the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund. BVB are keen to keep him around, but interest in his services will increase if he sees playing time for his country.