Crescencio Somerville will have to wait for his long-awaited Netherlands debut.
The West Ham United winger has been forced to withdraw from the Oranje squad with a minor calf injury and will be unavailable to face Aston Villa. It ended up being what seemed like a pivotal moment for the 22-year-old.
Ronald Koeman plans first Netherlands call-up
The Telegraph reports Ronald Koeman chose Somerville for his first senior call-up and that too The winger was hopeful of a comeback For West Ham against Aston Villa this weekend.
However, time has worked against them. After discussions between West Ham and the Netherlands, both sides agreed not to take any risks.
As a result, Somerville will miss the Premier League tie and the Netherlands' upcoming friendlies against Norway and Ecuador.
Injury setback doesn't impact World Cup ambitions
The setback has disappointed the forward, but it has not derailed his progress. De Telegraaf reports that he remains firmly in Koeman's World Cup plans, and has made clear his commitment to the Netherlands.
Suriname's new national coach Henk ten Cate approached the West Ham star, but Somerville chose to remain with the Oranje. Internally, executives continue to support that decision.
West Ham are hopeful of a quick recovery and Koeman believes Somerville's opportunity will come soon.
For now, everyone involved will focus on getting him fully fit for the race and preventing this small problem from becoming a bigger problem.
Somerville's importance to West Ham is increasing
His importance to West Ham's survival hopes is undeniable. He has established himself as a key creative force for the Hammers this season and has found his scoring touch since the turn of the year.
He has scored five goals this year alone and leads the team in several metrics, including 33 successful dribbles and 91 touches in the opposition box.
Statistically, he is one of West Ham's most direct attacking threats.
Those stats have caught the Netherlands' attention, but his international opportunity will have to wait. Fortunately, the delay has not ruled them out of the World Cup picture.
🇨🇿 Tomas Soucek | Check outlook on renewal
⏸️ West Ham star renewal put on hold, not canceled – agent ready to contacthttps://t.co/E7SraAlI2J #whufc #koi
- Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) 20 March 2026
