Verbruggen (hip) returned to full team training on Friday, confirming his availability for the Netherlands' World Cup opener against Japan on Sunday. Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman confirmed Verbruggen's status, saying "he trained fully today and yesterday and can play", Jeroen Kapteijns of De Telegraaf reports.
Analysis:
Verbruggen had been day-to-day after bruising his hip during a friendly, raising genuine doubts over his ability to feature from the start. His return to collective sessions puts those concerns firmly to rest, with the Brighton goalkeeper expected to start when the Netherlands begin their World Cup campaign as he remains the No. 1 goalie in front of Mark Flekken and Robin Roefs.
