Micky van de Ven started at left-back for the Netherlands in their opening game of the World Cup. As he did against Japan, the Tottenham Hotspur player will be expected to be in the Dutch lineup again.
Spurs fans will find out if Van de Ven is starting an hour before the 6 pm BST kick-off time tonight. Ronald Koeman's starting XI will be announced on their social media channels: @OnsOranje.
Is Micky van de Ven expected to play for the Netherlands tonight?
Van de Ven is Koeman's favored option to play on the left side of his defence. Therefore, he is expected to play every game. This is despite him getting booked and not having the best of games in the 2-2 draw with Japan.
The Netherlands' left-back depth chart at the World Cup
Player | Club | Caps | Current squad role |
|---|---|---|---|
Micky van de Ven | Tottenham | 22 | Starter |
Jorrel Hato | Chelsea | 8 | Substitute |
Despite Van de Ven being predominantly a center-back, he is preferred over Jorrell Hato to play at left-back.
Why Micky van de Ven's role matters for Tottenham supporters
For Tottenham, Van de Ven plays center-back and only occasionally fills in on the left. However, for the Netherlands, he is almost always used as a left-back. Koeman does have the difficult task of fitting him, Virgil van Dijk, and Jan Paul van Hecke into the same starting lineup.
Van Hecke is also now a teammate of Van de Ven at Spurs. Tottenham Hotspur supporters will be interested to see how they link up. Spurs fans may not mind Van de Ven playing out of position for his national team, as it improves his versatility. Overall, they will be hoping Van de Ven stays fit and is fresh for their upcoming campaign.
How Micky van de Ven has performed for the Netherlands recently
- Van de Ven has featured in all five of the Netherlands' matches this year
- He has played left-back in all of their games in 2026, but did play left midfield against Ecuador
- The Spurs player has one goal and one assist for the Netherlands, both of which came in an 8-0 win over Malta
Netherlands team news and predicted lineup
Koeman will be expected to name the same lineup as he did against Japan.
Netherlands predicted lineup: Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders; Summerville, Malen, Gakpo
What to watch for if Van de Ven plays tonight
As he is playing out of position, it will be interesting to see if it looks natural to him. Van de Ven will be defending against a great attack as Sweden has Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak. They will both test the Dutchman.
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