Feyenoord must again fear a long-term injury for Justin Bijlow. The goalkeeper pulled out injured in the first half of AZ-Feyenoord (0-1) on Sunday and left the field in tears.
After half an hour, 26-year-old Bijlow sat down on the ground. The eight-time Dutch national team clutched his right foot and burst into tears. He was carried off the field by staff members.
The audience in the AFAS Stadium supported Bijlow with applause. The goalkeeper was replaced by Timon Wellenreuther. It is unclear exactly what Bijlow has contracted and how many weeks he will be out of action.
Bijlow has been Feyenoord’s first goalkeeper for years, but has missed many games due to injuries. The goalkeeper has been missing from dozens of Eredivisie matches in his career due to injuries to the foot, knee, groin, elbow and wrist.
This season, Bijlow was still struggling with a broken wrist, which kept him sidelined for several months. He made his return in October. Bijlow returned to the Dutch national team in November. National coach Ronald Koeman preferred Bart Verbruggen from Brighton & Hove Albion in the European Championship qualifiers with Ireland and Gibraltar.
It is still unclear who will be the first goalkeeper for the Dutch team at the upcoming European Championship. Koeman added on Sunday ESPN a candidate can still be seen in Verbruggen, Bijlow and Mark Flokken. The European Championships in Germany start on June 14.