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Injured Netherlands Midfielder De Jong Out for France Match

Real Madrid's Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde (L) challenges Barcelona's Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong during the Copa del Rey (King's Cup) semi final first leg football match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on March 2, 2023. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde (L) challenges Barcelona's Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong during the Copa del Rey (King's Cup) semi final first leg football match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on March 2, 2023. (AFP)
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Injured Netherlands Midfielder De Jong Out for France Match

Real Madrid's Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde (L) challenges Barcelona's Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong during the Copa del Rey (King's Cup) semi final first leg football match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on March 2, 2023. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde (L) challenges Barcelona's Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong during the Copa del Rey (King's Cup) semi final first leg football match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on March 2, 2023. (AFP)

Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong and winger Steven Bergwijn dropped out of the national squad for the team's opening European Championship qualifier against France, coach Ronald Koeman said Monday.

De Jong injured his thigh late in Barcelona's 2-1 victory over Real Madrid on Sunday. Bergwijn picked up a knee injury in Ajax's 3-2 loss to Feyenoord.

“Of course that is a big loss because he's an important player for this team,” Koeman said of De Jong. “Because of the way he plays, it will be different if others play in his position. He brings things that not many other players can.”

Koeman called up PSV Eindhoven midfielder Joey Veerman to replace De Jong and Borussia Dortmund winger Donyell Malen as a replacement for Bergwijn.

Friday's match at the Stade de France is the first for Koeman in his second stint in charge of the Netherlands. Predecessor Louis van Gaal's contract ended after the World Cup in Qatar, where the Dutch lost on penalties to eventual champion Argentina in the quarterfinals.

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Man United are Better with Rashford, Says Boss Amorim amid Exit Talks

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Everton - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - December 1, 2024 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Molly Darlington/ File Photo
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Everton - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - December 1, 2024 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Molly Darlington/ File Photo
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Man United are Better with Rashford, Says Boss Amorim amid Exit Talks

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Everton - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - December 1, 2024 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Molly Darlington/ File Photo
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Everton - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - December 1, 2024 Manchester United's Marcus Rashford celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Molly Darlington/ File Photo

Manchester United are better with Marcus Rashford, coach Ruben Amorim said on Wednesday, after the forward said he was ready for a new challenge when asked about his future at the Old Trafford club.

The 27-year-old England international was left out of United's squad for Sunday's derby against Manchester City which they went on to win 2-1 in dramatic fashion at the Etihad Stadium.

Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 20, was also not part of the squad for the Premier League clash, with new boss Amorim later saying his decisions were all about holding his players to high standards, Reuters reported.

"I don't talk about the future, we talk about the present," Amorim told reporters ahead of Thursday's League Cup quarter-final trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

"We are better with Marcus Rashford. This kind of club needs big talents – and he is a big talent.

"We have one more training session and they (Rashford and Garnacho) are in the same situation as the other players. If they train well, we have to make a choice."

Capped 60 times for England, Rashford has been at United since the age of seven, scoring 138 goals in 426 appearances since making his senior debut for the club in 2016.

Having won the Europa League, two FA Cups and the League Cup twice during his time at United, Rashford signed a new five-year contract last year but has been linked with a move away from the club.

He spoke on the subject on Tuesday while visiting his old school to hand out Christmas presents, saying he was ready for the next steps.

"What I want is to take the best of Marcus Rashford... I want the best from each one of them. I just want to win and help the team be better," Amorim said.

"We are better with Marcus Rashford and it's that simple. We will try different things to push Rashford to the best levels that he has shown me in the past."