Rafael van der Vaart questions Ronald Koeman's choice regarding Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee

Rafael van der Vaart has expressed his disagreement with Ronald Koeman's choice to leave Joshua Zirkzee out of the Netherlands' Nations League match against Germany.

The Manchester United forward, who was signed in a €42.5 million (£36.5m) deal from Bologna in the summer transfer window, scored his first senior international goal in Netherlands’ 5-2 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday evening.

Despite his impressive performance in the Netherlands’ Nations League opener in Eindhoven, Zirkzee will lose his place in attack for Netherlands’ match Germany in Amsterdam on Tuesday evening, with Koeman confirming that Ajax’s Brian Brobbey will be handed a start.

‘Zirkzee did very well, but I discussed this with them beforehand,’ Koeman said after his side’s victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

‘I want to see both strikers from the start and the choice of why Joshua starts today and Brian on Tuesday is mainly to do with the opponent.

‘We hope to be dangerous in the transition against Germany. I want to see them both but ultimately you want to have a regular striker.’

However, former Dutch internationals Van der Vaart and Pierre van Hooijdonk disagree with Koeman’s decision to drop Zirkzee from the team.

‘It’s actually a shame that Koeman has already said that Brobbey will play against Germany because you are actually very curious to see how this duo [Zirkzee and Tijjani Reijnders] will do against a good opponent,’ former Netherlands striker Van Hooijdonk said on NOS.

‘What does Koeman gain from this?’ Van der Vaart added.

‘Imagine… Brobbey does great against a big country like Germany, or he does badly… I would just continue like this, I think. Why would you make a change?

‘He has already said it, of course, and he will do what he has in mind. But it is almost a bit of a shame, of course.’

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