With qualification for the European Championship finals secure since Saturday night the Dutch don’t really need all of their guns blazing in the Belarus game – and so three of their stars will not travel to Minsk at all. As it was revealed before even the Luxembourg game, Ed Van Der Sar had already agreed with Marco Van Basten not to go along in case the Oranje had already qualified. The 1-0 victory over the group G bottom side did the business for the Dutch and the 37-year-old keeper returned to Manchester to rejoin his United teammates.
He is not the only one leaving, though. Ruud Van Nistelrooy suffered a slight hamstring injury and was therefore substituted.
“It’s something that had troubled me all week long and at half-time I decided that I couldn’t go on. I don’t want to risk a lengthy injury and therefore I’m not going to Minsk.” the Real Madrid striker said before flying back to Spain, while Clarence Seedorf has also been allowed to return to Milan, the KNVB announced on Sunday.
Feyenoord goalkeeper Henk Timmer, Hamburger SV defensive midfielder Nigel De Jong, as well as Hedwiges Maduro and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, both of Ajax, will all join the 19-man squad on Monday and travel along to the Belarus. Huntelaar will likely get his chance to play from the start, with Maarten Stekelenburg filling Van Der Sar’s boots in goal.