Netherlands Call Up Chelsea Defender Ian Maatsen for Euro 2024 After Injury Setbacks

Big News for Dutch Football Fans:

Injury Woes for the Netherlands Team: Just before the big tournament, the Dutch team has been dealt a tough hand. Two key midfielders, Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners, can’t play because of injuries.

Ian Maatsen Gets the Call: Ian Maatsen, who defends for Chelsea, has been chosen to join the Netherlands team for Euro 2024. He’s stepping in last-minute because of the injuries.

What Happened? Late Monday, we found out that Frenkie de Jong won’t be playing in Germany. He’s still healing from an ankle injury he got in March. Then on Tuesday, we heard that Teun Koopmeiners is also out. He got hurt during a practice game against Iceland.

Maatsen’s Big Chance: Maatsen is now heading to the team’s training spot in Wolfsburg. Although he’s played for the Dutch youth teams and was on the bigger squad last September, he hasn’t played in a big game yet.

The Team’s Line-Up: Maatsen was almost going to play in the Euros, but then he didn’t make the final team list. The team already had players like Nathan Ake, Micky van de Ven, and Daley Blind who can play in his position.

The Netherlands’ Plan: The team, which won the championship back in 1988, is set to start off against Poland in Hamburg. They’ll also play against France and Austria later in June.

Maatsen’s Future: Maatsen might leave Chelsea for good after this season. He’s been doing great at Borussia Dortmund, helping them get to the Champions League final. He signed a new deal with Chelsea that goes until 2026, and it includes a big £35million clause if another team wants to buy him. Dortmund might want to keep him, but they’d have to pay a lot.

A Good Deal for Chelsea: If Chelsea sells Maatsen, they’ll make a nice profit since he’s been with them since he was young, joining from PSV Eindhoven in 2018.