Frenkie de Jong has backed Netherlands head coach Xavi Hernandez's belief that he can form an effective midfield partnership with Joey Veerman, insisting that technically gifted players should be able to complement one another on the pitch.

The Barcelona midfielder has returned to the Oranje squad following an injury and could feature alongside the former PSV player during the upcoming international fixtures.

The possibility has gained further attention after Ryan Gravenberch was left out of the squad because of injury, potentially opening the door for a different midfield combination.

Xavi had already made his position clear during a press conference earlier this week, suggesting there should be no issue with selecting De Jong and Veerman together.

“They can definitely play together in a team, that is a possibility. All the players can play together. Joey does it brilliantly both at Borussia Dortmund and with us,” the Netherlands coach said, as quoted by Voetbal International.

De Jong shares his coach's assessment and believes the quality of individual players should not prevent them from operating in the same midfield.

“I think that good players can always play together,” the Barcelona midfielder said.

He then offered a particularly positive assessment of Veerman, highlighting the midfielder's understanding of the game and his technical and tactical qualities.

“Joey is a player who sees football well. He is tactically and technically very good, so in general it is actually easy to play with players like that. The coach ultimately decides,” De Jong explained, as quoted by PSV Inside.

The comments underline the respect De Jong has for Veerman's ability on the ball and his understanding of football. Rather than viewing their potential partnership as a tactical complication, the Barcelona midfielder believes players of their quality should be capable of finding a way to work together.

With De Jong back in the squad and Gravenberch unavailable, Xavi has an opportunity to consider different options in the centre of the pitch.

Veerman's ability to read the game and distribute possession could complement De Jong's qualities, although the final decision will rest with the Netherlands coach.

De Jong has made it clear that he sees no reason why the two midfielders cannot share the pitch. Whether Xavi chooses to put that partnership into practice remains to be seen, but his earlier comments suggest the option is firmly under consideration.