Ryan Gravenberch handed bittersweet boost by Liverpool 'transfer target' after falling out

Ryan Gravenberch has been handed a bittersweet boost ahead of Euro 2024 after the Netherlands were twice struck down by injury.

Rumoured Liverpool transfer target Teun Koopmeiners has been forced to withdraw from the Dutch squad after suffering an injury in the warm-up ahead of their 4-0 friendly win over Iceland on Monday. The Atalanta midfielder has become the second Netherlands player to pull out of Ronald Koeman’s final squad with Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong already confirmed to be missing the tournament.

Marten de Roon and Quinten Timber, meanwhile, had been named in Koeman's preliminary squad, only to also miss out on selection because of injury. Such absences contributed to Gravenberch being selected in the first place, having angered Koeman after snubbing an Under-21s international call-up following his move to Liverpool last September and being overlooked completely during the past season as a result.

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“Gravenberch has fallen into a bit of a bad situation,” Koeman said when explaining the Reds midfielder’s inclusion in his squad despite an inconsistent first season at Anfield. “The choice was made based on the talent I see in him. But he hasn’t played much. If players drop out who are not fit, you get closer and closer.”

With both Koopmeiners and De Jong now absent for Euro 2024, Gravenberch’s chances of featuring more prominently for the Dutch have been handed a bittersweet boost.

Chelsea's Ian Maatsen has been called up in place of De Jong, but a replacement for Koopmeiners is yet to be announced. Gravenberch is now the second most experienced central-midfielder in Koeman’s squad, with 12 international caps, behind former Liverpool man Gini Wijnaldum.

Gravenberch was an unused substitute for the Dutch as they beat Iceland 4-0 on Monday night, with Reds captain Virgil van Dijk heading home the second goal. Instead, Jerdy Schouten partnered Joey Veerman in a double-pivot midfield following Koopmeiners’ withdrawal, with Wijnaldum stationed in front of the pair.

However, Gravenberch did start for the Netherlands when they won 4-0 against Canada last week, completing 86 minutes alongside Schouten and behind Wijnaldum.

The Netherlands open their Euro 2024 campaign against Poland on June 16, before facing France and Austria. And following the Netherlands’ growing midfield injury crisis, former Everton manager Koeman faces something of a selection headache that leaves Gravenberch hoping to take advantage.