Brobbey injured in Xavi's debut as Netherlands call up Zirkzee

Bad news for Xavi just hours after his debut on the bench. Brian Brobbey went off injured in the first half of the Netherlands' 1-1 draw with Germany, and the Dutch federation already has a replacement lined up: Joshua Zirkzee, the Manchester United forward, was called up to take his place for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.

The Sunderland striker felt discomfort that all pointed to a muscle issue, something like a hamstring strain, and was unable to continue in the friendly played in Amsterdam. The news is a particularly tough blow for Xavi, who was overseeing his first match in charge of the Dutch national team. The coach still had reason to celebrate the result thanks to a late goal from Cody Gakpo that salvaged a draw on his debut.

Brobbey's physical setback is no small matter in terms of scheduling: he will miss the Netherlands' next three Nations League matches, meaning both meetings with Serbia (home and away) and the clash against Greece. It's a costly absence, especially since the forward had arrived at this international break in excellent form, having scored a hat-trick against Manchester City with his club just before.

His replacement, Zirkzee, arrives in a very different situation in terms of match sharpness: he has yet to start a game for Manchester United this season. It also marks a return to the national team after a long absence, since his last appearance for the Dutch side dated back to November 2024.

Brobbey wasn't the only Premier League forward to come out of that Thursday's action banged up. On the German side, Kai Havertz was also substituted, in his case after 30 minutes of play, while Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich couldn't even take the field after feeling something during the warmup. Germany's head coach, Jurgen Klopp, confirmed that both players underwent MRI scans once the match had finished.

For now, both the Netherlands and Germany are waiting on medical updates before determining who will be available for the next Nations League window.