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Georginio Wijnaldum 'surprised' by fall of ex Arsenal and Man Utd star Robin van Persie
GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM has admitted he was 'surprised' to see Robin van Persie omitted from the latest Netherlands squad.
Georginio Wijnaldum says he was surprised to see Robin van Persie left out of the squad
The striker, currently plying in his trade in Turkey with Fenerbahce, has been left out of the 24-man squad to face Wales and Germany this month.
Since leaving Manchester United his career has somewhat stalled in Turkey, and he let rip at manager Vítor Pereira last month for his lack of game time.
"To be honest, I am not very happy at this moment," he said.
"I was not happy that I started on the bench. I am fully fit, physically very well and able to play for 90 minutes."
Robin Van Persie - Spotlight On
And things got worse for the 32-year-old as Holland failed to qualify for next year's Euros, with Van Persie scoring a humiliating own goal in the 3-2 defeat to the Czech Republic.
Subsequently, the striker has been dropped by Danny Blind for their upcoming friendlies on November 13 and 17, much to the surprise of Newcastle midfielder Wijnaldum.
Georginio Wijnaldum has endured an up-and-down season at Newcastle this year
"Whether the coach is going to change a lot, I do not know," he told publication Football Oranje.
"The selection has not changed very radically. After Robin van Persie, of course. What I thought when I heard that he is no longer there? It was surprising, he has always been there and has played over a hundred matches."
Blind has selected Schalke 04's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Wolfsburg man Bas Dost and Luuk de Jong of PSV Eindhoven as his main attacking options instead.
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