AMSTERDAM: Netherlands captain Arjen Robben has not recovered sufficiently from a groin injury to play in his country’s crucial final two qualifiers for next year’s European Championships.

Robben picked up the injury in the Netherlands’ 1-0 loss to Iceland last month and has not played since. Coach Danny Blind on Friday called up 20-year-old Ajax winger Anwar

El-Ghazi as a possible replacement on the right flank. Iceland and the Czech Republic have already qualified from Group A. After a disastrous qualifying campaign, the Netherlands are two points adrift of third-place Turkey fighting for a playoff spot.

The Dutch travel to Astana to play Kazakhstan on October 10 and take on the Czech Republic three days later in Amsterdam.