Midfield:
How much would Van Gaal would miss Nigel De Jong and the man he needed most at this time? Kevin Strootman’s loss remains hugely significant if the Dutch fail to progress but Van Gaal will fall back on Giorginho Wijnaldum and Wesley Snjeider to play through the middle. Arjen Robben remains the trump card for Holland and his mazy runs from out wide is sure to cause havoc against a fragile defense which have been well known to wilt under pressure. Memphis Depay might also start to support Robin Van Persie up front and the super sub who is heralded as the next Cristaino Ronaldo will have to shed the distraction of being linked to Manchester United in the upcoming transfer window.
Strikeforce:
RVPVan Persie is a major doubt for the semi final clash thanks to a stomach bug but van Gaal has insisted that he will play no matter what. The legendary coach claimed that the Manchester United striker and Netherlands’ joint top scorer with three goals in the tournament, has been training separately from the squad and he will not be able to make a decision on his fitness until the just ahead of the kickoff. In that case Klaas Jan Huntellar might feature at the top of the attack.