Patrick van Aanholt will not be going to the World Cup after Louis van Gaal trimmed his preliminary Netherlands squad down to 23 players.
Van Aanholt, who has one senior international cap to his name, had been named in Van Gaal’s original group of 30 players. The future Manchester United manager has decided the left-back, who has spent the past two-and-a-half seasons on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in his native Netherlands, would be one of seven players from that group to miss out.
Our former winger Arjen Robben is, as expected, named in the squad of 23 which includes 10 players plying their trade in the Dutch Eredivisie. Rafael van der Vaart, the former Tottenham midfielder, has been ruled out of the tournament through injury.
The Netherlands squad in full:
Jasper Cillessen, Tim Krul, Michel Vorm; Daley Blind, Daryl Janmaat, Terence Kongolo, Bruno Martins Indi, Joel Veltman, Paul Verhaegh, Ron Vlaar, Stefan de Vrij; Jordy Clasie, Leroy Fer, Jonathan De Guzman, Nigel de Jong, Wesley Sneijder, Georginio Wijnaldum; Arjen Robben, Memphis Depay, Jeremain Lens, Dirk Kuyt, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Robin van Persie.