Netherlands' Van der Vaart to miss World Cup

Published February 05, 2015

Amsterdam, Netherlands (SportsNetwork.com) - Netherlands midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart will miss the upcoming World Cup in Brazil due to a calf injury, the club confirmed on Wednesday.

Van der Vaart, 31, suffered the injury in training on Tuesday and a statement on the team's official website confirmed the omission of the 109-times capped midfielder from the 23-man roster, which will be named later in the week.

"Rafael van der Vaart will miss the World Cup in Brazil," the statement said. "The Holland international has a calf strain in his right leg. Coach Louis van Gaal has therefore decided not to include him in the final selection."

Van der Vaart would have been van Gaal's most experienced player in the squad for the tournament this summer, but instead he becomes the second Dutch player to miss the tournament after Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman suffered a season-ending knee injury in March.

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