Does De Jong's return mean Veerman loses his place in Xavi's Netherlands?

De Jong returns from injury this week; Xavi must decide whether to pair him with Veerman in midfield or bench the in-form Borussia Dortmund player.

Joey Veerman and Frenkie de Jong last played together for the Netherlands three years ago, and this week's Nations League matches against Greece (Friday) and Germany (Monday) could see them reunited — or Veerman sidelined.

Veerman has thrived in recent internationals under new coach Xavi, starting the last three matches as the defensive midfielder and earning praise for his positioning and decision-making. At Borussia Dortmund, coach Niko Kovac has highlighted his ability to build from deep and distribute quickly.

De Jong, meanwhile, has returned from a knee injury that sidelined him since the World Cup and made his Barcelona comeback last month, though he has played in various positions rather than his preferred role.

The question now is whether Xavi will experiment with both players together in a double-six formation — something Ronald Koeman, the previous coach, never attempted — or whether De Jong's return means Veerman loses his place. Xavi has already identified De Jong as crucial to his attacking system, but De Jong has yet to settle into a fixed position at Barcelona.