Timber (groin) has been ruled out of the World Cup after failing to recover sufficiently from a groin injury to participate in a medically responsible manner, with Lutsharel Geertruida of Sunderland called up as his replacement, the federation announced.
Analysis:
Timber will leave the Netherlands' pre-camp in New York following the friendly against Uzbekistan, bringing a premature end to what had been an eagerly anticipated tournament for the 24-year-old Arsenal defender. Lutsharel Geertruida's call-up brings the Dutch squad back to 26 players at their base camp in Kansas. Timber's absence is a significant blow for coach Ronald Koeman, who had been counting on the versatile defender to contribute across multiple positions in the backline throughout the tournament. The Netherlands will now need to reorganize their defensive options heading into a World Cup where expectations are high.
