Jurriën Timber won’t be going to the World Cup. The 24-year-old Arsenal defender has been ruled out of the Netherlands’ 26-man squad due to a groin injury that simply refused to cooperate with the tournament timeline.
Timber had been named in the provisional squad announced on May 27, but his body had other plans. The Dutch Football Association confirmed his withdrawal around June 9, replacing him with Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida. FIFA rules allow nations to make injury-related substitutions up to 24 hours before their opening match, and the Netherlands used that window here.
A defensive headache at the worst possible time
The defender had recently returned to action for Arsenal, which made his provisional squad selection look reasonable at the time. The groin issue proved too stubborn, and the coaching staff ultimately had to make the call that every manager dreads: pulling a key player days before a major tournament.
Jeremie Frimpong was also left out of the final squad due to injury concerns.
