Arjen Robben suffered a hamstring injury in Saturday's friendly against Hungary, leaving his World Cup temporarily in doubt. The Dutch national team left for South Africa without him, but after a day's recuperation, Robben is likely to join his teammates for the tournament.
Arjen Robben Hamstring Not As Bad As Originally Feared, Still In Netherlands 2010 World Cup Squad
The injury came near the end of the Netherlands’ 6-1 victory over Hungary in Amsterdam, where Robben had two goals. Cutting in from his right wing position, Robben attempted a back heel pass to an overlapping teammate. The Bayern Munich star appeared to place his left foot too far inside the ball, over-extending his hamstring.
Robben was immediately removed from the match, with fears about his World Cup fitness raised after he did not leave for South Africa with the team on Sunday.
Today, coach Bert van Marwijk assuaged fears that Robben would be replaced on the Netherlands’ roster:
According to Dutch state broadcaster NOS, Van Marwijk says he has “decided not to summon any substitute for Arjen. I want to give him every chance to still participate in the World Cup.“Robben has had an injury-plagued career at the club level and has developed a reputation for his fragility. He has failed to play over 30 league games in a season since he was a 19-year-old at PSV. This season for Bayern Munich, Robben was limited to 24 league games, in which he scored 16 goals.
If Robben were unable to play come June 14 (when the Netherlands faces Denmark), van Marwijk would likely start Rafael van der Vaart on the left wing, moving Dirk Kuyt to Robben's position on the right.
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