Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart out of the World Cup

Midfielder Rafael van der Vaart will miss this summer’s World Cup due to a calf muscle injury.

Van der Vaart, who has 109 caps for Oranje, is one of the most experienced players in the Dutch team. He was injured earlier this week while training but was not totally fit when he arrived in Portugal for the final selection process, news agency ANP says.

Earlier, Dutch coach Louis van Gaal lost fellow midfielder Kevein Strootman, who has a serious knee injury.

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