Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has lef the door open to a return for Liverpool's Cody Gakpo after the attacker was forced to withdraw from the national squad.
The 23-year-old was among five Holland players who had to leave camp after a viral outbreak ahead of their European Championships Qualification opener against France. It has been claimed by national media in the affected region that the bout of illness came after a chicken curry.
Virgil van Dijk moved to dismiss that notion after suggesting the dish that was served was "delicious". Ahead of their Group B curtain-raiser, the manager insisted that there may be time for the departed Dutchmen to return ahead of their second and final game of this month's internationals when they host Gibraltar on Tuesday.
READ MORE: Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo sent home from Holland squad after virus outbreak
READ MORE: Cody Gakpo's time with the Netherlands squad cut short by 'chicken curry'
"We do not rule out the possibility that even more players could drop out, that seems likely to me. We are a bit more careful with shaking hands, but you cannot legislate for every contact," he told a news conference.
"I was shocked. I went down to the hotel lobby I saw Joey Veerman sitting there, waiting for a taxi. Sven Botman had already left. Then you get to understand the whole situation and you have to act quickly."
Among the casualties was Newcastle United's summer-signing, Botman and Bayern Munich central defender Matthijs De Ligt. It was the first time that Gakpo met up with his fellow countryman since signing for Liverpool in January.
Regarding whether this will end the former PSV Eindhoven captain's involvement with Oranje, Koeman was coy suggesting a decision will depend on developments.
"The five who have gone home have not yet been eliminated for the entire period," he added. "It's not definitive that they will not come back. That depends on how things develop.
"Of course, everyone wants to know where it comes from, but we can only speculate and there's no point doing that. There were players among those five who probably would have been in the starting lineup.
"But luckily I also interchanged a lot of guys in positions this week, so those who are now going to play have also trained in those positions. I've figured out how I'm going to do things."
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