Frenkie de Jong injury doubt for Sweden clash as Koeman defends tactics

Frenkie de Jong remains an injury doubt for the Netherlands’ match against Sweden after picking up a pelvic injury during training. The Barcelona midfielder was involved in a collision that also left Quinten Timber with a mild concussion. Ronald Koeman confirmed the uncertainty in Houston, stating: “There is slight doubt whether Frenkie can start against Sweden.” The Oranje head coach also addressed his substitution strategy following the Japan game, where changes failed to improve the team’s performance. “The impact of my substitutions was not good,” Koeman admitted. “That is my responsibility and you have to take all the criticism like a big boy.” He added: “I spoke to Frenkie after the Japan match. He does a lot of things well—he is tactically smart—but when we attack and the team needs to press higher, he often positions too deep.”

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Criticism of De Jong has grown in the Netherlands, with some calling for him to be dropped entirely. Koeman rejected this view. “That he should be taken out? I completely disagree,” he said. “Frenkie is tactically intelligent, but his forward actions still need improvement. However, removing him is going too far.” Koeman also reflected on the broader tactical challenges, noting that Japan did not press as high as expected. “We thought Japan would press higher and faster, but they didn’t,” he said. “Sweden play in a similar way, so our three attackers must press their defenders more than ever.”

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The Netherlands must beat Sweden to secure a knockout-phase spot ahead of their final group game. “We know what we need to do,” Koeman said. “We don’t want to leave everything until the last match.”