Kevin Strootman is set to play his first match for the Netherlands in more than two years after being added to the squad for three friendlies in the coming weeks, the Dutch football association said yesterday.
The Roma midfielder has suffered two serious knee injuries, including one in his last game for the Dutch against France in March 2014 that ruled him out of that year’s World Cup in Brazil.
Strootman has been added to a preliminary squad named a fortnight ago that has now been trimmed to 26 players.
Veteran Wesley Sneijder has also been belatedly included but will miss the match against Ireland in Dublin on May 27 because it clashes with his club Galatasaray’s Turkish Cup final date against Fenerbahce.
Sneijder will be available to play against Poland in Gdansk on June 1 and Austria in Vienna on June 4.
The Dutch national team, having failed to qualify for the European Championship, are providing warm-up opposition for the trio of teams headed to France next month.