Schaars absence hits Dutch hopes

UEFA European Under-21 Championship hosts the Netherlands will be without captain Stijn Schaars for this summer's tournament after the AZ Alkmaar midfielder told coach Foppe de Haan he will not have recovered from injury in time.

Recurring complaint
Schaars, who has been capped six times at senior level, has been troubled by an ankle problem since January and after undergoing surgery, suffered a recurrence when making his comeback in AZ's UEFA Cup quarter-final defeat by Werder Bremen on 12 April. He subsequently played only one more Eredivisie match, against BV Vitesse three days later. The 23-year-old, an integral member of the Jong Oranje side that won the U21 crown last term, has travelled to Germany for further tests on the joint. The Netherlands begin the defence of their title against Israel on 10 June.