MADRID, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- There was good news for Real Madrid and for the Dutch national team with the recall of Wesley Sneijderto the Real Madrid squad on Saturday. Sneijder damaged knee ligaments in a pre-season match against Arsenal on August 3 and has not yet played in the current campaign.
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Netherlands' Ruud van Nistelrooy , Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart (L-R) stand on the centre line after a goal by Russia during their Euro 2008 quarter-final soccer match at St Jakob Park stadium in Basel, June 21, 2008 |
Now he looks certain to play for at least half an hour in Real Madrid's home game against Espanyol in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on Sunday evening. Last season the 24-year-old, who joined Real Madrid from Ajax, was a key part of their Championship winning side. He scored nine goals in 30 Primera Liga appearances and his passes led directly to six goals from other players.
With Guti and Gago out through injury for at least two more weeks, Sneijder's return gives more options to Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster, whose side has nonetheless won their last six games.
However, Sneijder's return is not just good news for Real Madrid, it is also a boost for the Dutch national side, that has World Cup qualifying matches against Iceland and away to Norway on October 11 and October 15. On Friday Dutch coach Van Marvijk named him in the Dutch squad for those two vital games.
I am ready to play, if Schuster considers it to be appropriate,I will play against Espanyol. I am really looking forward to playing again and to pulling on a Real Madrid shirt, said Sneijder in Saturday's edition of sports paper Diario AS.