(Reuters) – Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal surprised on Friday with the selection of five new players as he named a preliminary 32-man squad for Nations League games against Poland and Belgium.
At the same time, it also offers some insight into his thinking in terms of selection for the World Cup finals in Qatar, where he will be allowed to take 26 players.
Brian Brobbey, Andries Noppert, Pascal Struijk, Kenneth Taylor and Joey Veerman are all named for the first time.
Brobbey and Taylor have been regulars since the start of the new season for Ajax Amsterdam and Veerman has stared for PSV Eindhoven. Both clubs have made a 100% start to the new Dutch league season.
Goalkeeper Noppert recently signed for Heerenveen while Struijk plays in defence at Leeds United.
Van Gaal will trim the squad next Friday ahead of the matches in Warsaw on Sept. 22 and Amsterdam, where they host their Belgian neighbours, on Sept. 25. The Dutch top their Nations League group with 10 points from four games.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Jasper Cillessen (NEC Nijmegen), Mark Flekken (Freiburg), Andries Noppert (Heerenveen), Remko Pasveer (Ajax Amsterdam)
Defenders: Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Daley Blind (Ajax Amsterdam), Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich), Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Tyrell Malacia (Manchester United), Bruno Martins Indi (AZ Alkmaar), Devyne Rensch (Ajax Amsterdam), Pascal Struijk (Leeds United), Jurrien Timber (Ajax Amsterdam), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielders: Steven Berghuis (Ajax Amsterdam), Jordy Clasie (AZ Alkmaar), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Ryan Gravenberch (Bayern Munich), Davy Klaassen (Ajax Amsterdam), Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta), Kenneth Taylor (Ajax Amsterdam), Joey Veerman (PSV Eindhoven)
Forwards: Steven Bergwijn, Brian Brobbey (both Ajax Amsterdam), Memphis Depay (Barcelona), Cody Gakpo (PSV Eindhoven), Vincent Janssen (Royal Antwerp), Wout Weghorst (Besiktas).
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
