10 October 2023 , 21:09
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Ronald Koeman has admitted he has not forgiven Ryan Gravenberch for snubbing a call-up to the Netherlands' Under-21s squad last month.
Gravenberch opted to stay with Liverpool for September's international break, having only arrived at Anfield on transfer deadline day. That decision did not go down well with either Koeman or Under-21s boss Michael Reiziger, both of whom took aim at the Reds midfielder.
And he has now been left out of the squads for both the Under-21s and for the senior team for October's international break. In his press conference before facing France on Friday, Koeman admitted that Gravenberch's snub last month still stings.
"We do have a certain opinion about cancelling for the Dutch juniors or the Dutch national team. I still think he's a great talent and I hope he will play a lot at Liverpool and continue his development. Then he will certainly be a player for the Dutch team," he said.
Koeman's anger with Gravenberch comes despite faces a mounting injury crisis. Sven Botman, Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo, Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt, Mark Flekken and Noa Lang were all ruled out before the squad came together.
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On Monday, he suffered a further blow as Steven Berghuis and Teun Koopmeiners were also sidelined for the upcoming games. Despite that, Koeman has refused to call up Gravenberch, insisting he is focused on next week's Euro 2024 qualifier against Greece.
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Ryan Gravenberch looks set for a stint away from the Netherlands national team (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)"We are left with 23 players. In these kinds of periods with injuries you are very dependent, everyone has to deal with that. But in this case it is very extreme. I have never experienced that before," he said.
"The match against Greece is crucial. Everything you do against France is a bonus, but the most important match for us is Greece. There is international football. When I see how those boys come in and interact with each other. You shouldn't take that away.
"But you can think about whether you should invite so many countries for the qualification. We used to play one international match and then you go back to the club. Now there are two and sometimes even three. Clubs are not interested in that.
"The pressure is increasing. Now all clubs ask about all the players' dates, what they do during training. Players even receive a program from the club when they are here. Football players don't get enough rest. The muscle injuries are all related to overload."
The situation around Gravenberch comes as Jeremie Frimpong was welcomed back to the squad, having refused to play for the Under-21s last June. And Koeman hinted that Gravenberch could follow a similar path back into his reckoning.
Koeman said: "I will certainly speak to him about the situation. But I do that with every new player. We are now going to develop. Nigel de Jong has already spoken extensively with Jeremie Frimpong today about the past few months and why he was not there."