SOCCER: Schouten to miss World Cup after surgery on cruciate ligament injury

PSV Eindhoven captain Jerdy Schouten will miss the World Cup after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury in Saturday’s match against Utrecht, the club confirmed on Sunday. The Netherlands midfielder underwent surgery following the injury.

Schouten suffered the setback in the second half of PSV’s 4-3 victory when he twisted his knee and was carried off on a stretcher. Further examinations on Sunday confirmed the severity of the injury, which typically requires six to nine months for a full recovery.

"When it happened, I immediately felt that something was wrong," Schouten said. "You still have a glimmer of hope that it isn't too bad, but unfortunately, that turned out not to be the case. The blow is big right now, but I will move on quickly. Great things are about to happen for PSV again, and I will do everything I can to be involved."

This season, Schouten made 40 appearances across all competitions for PSV, including 28 league games, as the club pushes for a third consecutive title.

Since making his international debut in 2022, Schouten has earned 17 caps for the Netherlands, most recently playing the full 90 minutes in a friendly draw against Ecuador last week.

-Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters