The Netherlands are set to face Algeria at De Kuip in Rotterdam on Wednesday evening in their first friendly of the 2026 World Cup build-up, with Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber among the players who could be handled cautiously by Ronald Koeman.
Timber’s place in the squad was far from guaranteed in the weeks leading up to the announcement. The 24-year-old was sidelined for a significant stretch of Arsenal’s title-winning Premier League campaign after suffering a groin injury, and his name was absent from the Netherlands squad for the March international window as he worked his way back to fitness.
Koeman opted to include Timber in his final 26-man group for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, but the coach is expected to manage his workload carefully as the summer gets underway.
The Algeria fixture is the first of two warm-up games for the Dutch before they head to North America. A second friendly against Uzbekistan follows on June 8 in New York, with the squad then flying into their base camp in Kansas City ahead of their Group F opener against Japan on June 14.
Algeria are appearing at their first World Cup since 2014 and will treat the De Kuip clash as a genuine test against elite European opposition. Vladimir Petkovic’s side also carry tournament preparation objectives of their own into the match.
Memphis Depay, another player who has been nursing fitness concerns, is also part of the Dutch squad and could face similar restrictions in terms of minutes. Koeman acknowledged after naming his group that Depay needs to come through the coming weeks in good shape before the tournament begins.
The Netherlands have been among the pre-tournament selections tipped by many as potential challengers. They are the most decorated nation never to have lifted the World Cup, having reached three finals across 1974, 1978 and 2010.
With key absentees including Xavi Simons, Stefan de Vrij and Matthijs de Ligt all ruled out through injury, tonight’s match will give Koeman a chance to assess his options before the competition begins.??????
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