Brighton defender withdraws from Netherlands under-21 squad

The 21-year-old, who joined Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers on a season-long loan in the summer, was named in the Dutch squad for the first time for their 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland.

But the central defender did not feature in his country's goalless draw with Bulgaria on Friday evening.

Jong Orange manager Erwin van de Looi said van Hecke had been omitted due to injury and would not feature in Tuesday evening's crucial encounter with the Swiss.

Albion's towering goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen, who is on loan at Belgian First Division A side KV Oostende, made a series of superb stops to prevent the Netherlands from falling to an embarrassing defeat.

The Dutch sit five points behind Group E leaders Switzerland, with a game in hand, as they bid to reach next summer's finals in Romania and Georgia.

The extent of the injury of the defender's injury has not been revealed by the Dutch FA. There are no plans to replace van Hecke in the Netherlands under-21 squad.

The young gun has become an ever-present for Blackburn since returning from a three-match suspension in November.

The centre half has been part of a miserly Rovers defence that has kept 11 clean sheets in their last 20 matches, of which van Hecke has played every minute, and was named the club's player of the month for February.

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