Ronald Koeman hopeful that Brighton goalkeeper can make World Cup debut against Japan despite injury

Ronald Koeman hopeful that Brighton goalkeeper can make World Cup debut against Japan despite injury There are concerns that Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen may not be able to play in the Netherlands World Cup opener against Japan. The Brighton goalkeeper suffered an injury during the Netherlands friendly against Uzbekistan and was absent from training yesterday. Ronald Koeman has indicated, as reported by ESPN , that he thinks the Brighton player will be able to play in the World Cup opener against Japan, who are clearly Oranje’s biggest threat during the Group Stages to finish top of the group. While Verbruggen is Koeman’s number one option, if the Brighton shot stopper is unable to play then he does have two reliable options. Sunderland’s Robin Roefs had a fantastic debut season in the Premier League, yet he would be battling for a starting space with former Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken. The latter has played 12 times for the national team, while Roefs has only played once. Brighton’s Verbruggen has played 29 times for the Dutch national team and has been the number one option for Ronald Koeman in recent years. GBeNeFN  |  Ben Jackson