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# Verbruggen suffers injury scare in last match before World Cup

- **Source:** 
- **Published:** 9 Jun
- **Club:** Brighton
- **Original URL:** https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/26177055.world-cup-injury-scare-holland-no-1-bart-verbruggen/?ref=rss

Brighton and Hove Albion FC Football Sport

Bart Verbruggen suffered an injury scare in Holland’s final friendly before the World Cup.

He appeared to hurt his hip playing against Uzbekistan in New York.

Verbruggen is his nation’s first choice between the sticks going into the tournament but there were concerning scenes for head coach Ronald Koeman and his team.

The keeper stayed down after a heavy fall when he was impeded while leaping to catch a high ball on 53 minutes.

He continued initially after treatment but went down again 13 minutes later and was led away by a member of the medical staff.

His place was taken by Bayer Leverkusen’s Mark Flekken.

Koeman could offer no indication as to Verbruggen's condition as he was interviewed soon after the game.

He said: "We will have to wait and see. He took a knock to his hip."

One eye-witness account said the Albion No.1 was “screaming in pain” while being treated on the first occasion.

Sunderland’s Robin Roefs is the other goalkeeper in the Dutch national team squad.

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Justin Bijlow was dropped at the last minute but is keeping himself fit in case a goalkeeper gets injured in the run-up to the World Cup.

Koeman is allowed to replace injured players up to one day before the first match against Japan.

Albion’s Jan Paul van Hecke started the game alongside Virgil van Dijk in central defence.

Denzel Dumfries played at right-back with Mats Wieffer among the substitutes.

Holland won the friendly 2-1 through two Cody Gakpo penalties, the second of them deep in added time.

Wieffer then played and scored in an hour-long friendly between the two nations' substitutes, which was closed to the media but which Holland lost 2-1.