World Cup Takes Priority: No Risks Taken
After undergoing successful surgeries to address a severe thumb injury, Dutch international Noa Lang is currently with the national team, preparing for the upcoming World Cup. Despite the positive outcome of the operations, Lang admits he is still feeling the effects. He is set to miss the friendly match against Norway this Friday but remains hopeful about playing against Ecuador on Tuesday. “We don’t want to take any risks,” he stated, “the World Cup is far more important.” The Netherlands has been drawn into Group F for the summer World Cup, where they will face Japan, Tunisia, and one of Albania, Sweden, Ukraine, or Poland.
Daily Life Impacted: ‘Luckily, Football is Played with Feet’
The Galatasaray player vividly recounts the moment he sustained the injury. “My thumb got stuck in a very sharp fence behind an advertising billboard. It was a very deep cut, not pleasant at all.” While he humorously notes, “Luckily, football is played with feet,” hinting at a possible return to the pitch as early as Friday, his everyday life remains significantly affected. “It’s not even comfortable to do the most normal things, like going to the bathroom,” Lang explained, “especially since I’m right-handed, and it’s my dominant thumb that’s injured. Playing PlayStation is completely out of the question.”
