Friday, March 19, 2021 at 5:08 PM• Dominic Mostert • Last update: 17:13

The question is whether Memphis Depay can be used for the the Dutch in the World Cup qualifying matches against Turkey and Gibraltar. According to regulations from the French government, persons traveling to areas outside the European Union must be quarantined for seven days when they return to France, which would make Depay unavailable for a week for his club Olympique Lyon.

According to FIFA rules, Olympique Lyon may choose not to hand over Depay to the Dutch, if no dispensation is granted for the quarantine period. The KNVB has to The Telegraph let them know that it is not yet clear whether national coach Frank de Boer will call for a replacement in that case. On Friday afternoon, Depay was asked about the situation during an Olympique Lyon press conference. He has little understanding for it and hopes for a positive outcome.

“It’s very strange. In Kazakhstan, where France will play, there are more infections than in some African countries. It’s not fair, so hopefully smart decisions will be made,” said Depay. “It is always an honor to play for the the Dutch. We all hope that we can go to our national teams. In the future straightforward decisions are needed when it comes to international matches.”

The games against Turkey (Wednesday, March 24) and Gibraltar (Tuesday, March 30) take place outside the European Union. In between, the Dutch will play against Latvia on Saturday, March 27 in Amsterdam. Depay was included in the final squad for the three international matches on Friday. The other attackers are Ryan Babel (Galatasaray), Steven Berghuis (Feyenoord), Steven Bergwijn (Tottenham Hotspur), Luuk de Jong (Sevilla), Donyell Malen (PSV) and Calvin Stengs (AZ).