Injury Blow Before Kickoff: Timber Ruled Out for the Netherlands

Just days before the World Cup begins, the Netherlands have lost defender Jurriën Timber to injury. According to ESPN, the Arsenal defender has been withdrawn from the Dutch squad and will miss the tournament, having not played for his club since mid-March as he recovered from a groin problem.

Manager Ronald Koeman has called up Lutsharel Geertruida as the replacement. ESPN reports that Koeman pointed to defensive depth as the deciding factor — without Timber the squad would have been left short of cover at the back — and that Geertruida had been training with the group recently, making the late switch relatively straightforward.

Timber is not the only late casualty. ESPN's injuries tracker notes that Germany also made a forced change, with Lennart Karl ruled out and Assan Ouédraogo brought in. FIFA's squad rules allow such replacements from a team's wider provisional pool up to 24 hours before its first match, so further changes remain possible as the opener approaches.

Sources: ESPN — Timber to miss World Cup through injury · ESPN — 2026 World Cup injuries tracker