Van Persie situation concerns Blind

Netherlands coach Danny Blind admits he is concerned by the lack of game time striker Robin van Persie has accumulated with new club Fenerbahce.

The Dutch are set to take on Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic in Euro 2016 qualifiers on Saturday and October 13 respectively.

Van Persie, 32, is one of Blind’s most important players but the manager has expressed concern at his lack of starts for the Turkish club.

The forward made the move from Manchester United to Fenerbahce in the off-season but has only started in half of his 12 appearances for the club.

“For Van Persie and for us this is not the most ideal situation,” Blind said. “You want your players to play.

“On Thursday he played an entire game against Celtic, but it’s not a good situation when one of your main players is not in the starting line-up weekly.”

Blind, who succeeded Guus Hiddink at the helm in July, has endured a tough time as Netherlands boss with the nation on the brink of missing Euro 2016.

The 54-year-old has also come under fire for picking five Ajax players in his recent squad, but he claims he is not showing any favouritism to his former club.

“I think that’s nonsense,” Blind said. It does not interest me what club they are at.

“I try to select the best players, I do not know any coach who does not. The choices can always challenge you, but there are not preference.”