Manchester United star Matthijs de Ligt has been left out of the Netherlands squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Dutch manager Ronald Koeman has selected four centre-backs in his squad to face Malta and Finland this month.
With Virgil van Dijk an automatic starter, Koeman has turned to Micky van de Ven, Stefan de Vrij and Jan Paul van Hecke as his other central options.
De Ligt, who was part of the Dutch squad last month, has been ruthlessly overlooked this time around.
The 25-year-old played no part in the 1-1 draw with Poland and was only introduced in the 89th minute of the 3-2 win over Lithuania.
His absence from the latest 24-man squad comes as a major surprise.
The former Ajax defender has been one of the standout players for the Red Devils this term.
He has started all six Premier League games, winning 60% of his duels and averaging more than two tackles per match.
While his passing accuracy of 88.6% leaves room for improvement, he has stood out with his front-foot, proactive defending.
Van de Ven and Van Hecke have made fewer interceptions and tackles, while also losing more duels.
Yet, both have been preferred to De Ligt in Koeman’s selection.
At the very least, the United centre-back deserves a place in the squad.
Koeman can only hope his bold call does not backfire, with the Dutch having already dropped points at home to Poland before scraping past a lowly Lithuania.
United fans will be focusing on the positives, hoping that De Ligt gets ample rest ahead of the busy winter schedule.
Stats from Fotmob.com
