The versatile defender’s early return to Eindhoven compounds Peter Bosz’s selection headaches, leaving the Eredivisie leaders racing to fit key starters ahead of their clash with Heerenveen.
PSV have suffered another injury setback during the international break, with Lutsharel Geertruida forced to leave the Netherlands squad and return to Eindhoven.
The defender has sustained a minor injury, PSV confirmed, and will not feature for the Netherlands for the remainder of the international window. Geertruida was unable to continue with the national team's preparations and departed the training camp on Friday.
The extent of the problem is not considered serious, but PSV have yet to confirm whether the 25-year-old will be fit to face sc Heerenveen when the Eredivisie resumes in two weeks.
The latest setback comes just days after PSV confirmed that Ricardo Pepi would also miss upcoming matches because of injury. The American forward suffered his problem during the defeat to FC Twente and has since remained in Eindhoven to begin his recovery.
![The immediate focus will be on Geertruida's recovery [IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters]](https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7f188b0d-ffe2-452b-9229-f7aa82f58f3f.jpeg)
The immediate focus will be on Geertruida's recovery [IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters]Geertruida's return adds to an increasingly busy workload for the PSV medical staff.
Sami Ouaissa, Sam Lammers and Alassane Pléa have all spent the past week recovering from injuries, while right-back Kiliann Sildillia remains sidelined. Midfielder Jerdy Schouten faces a significantly longer rehabilitation period.
Despite the growing injury list, PSV currently have a large contingent of players away on international duty.
A total of 17 PSV players were initially called up by their respective national teams for the current international break. With Pepi and Geertruida now ruled out of international action, 15 players remain with their countries.
For Peter Bosz, the break was expected to provide an opportunity for players to recover from the demanding opening weeks of the season. Instead, PSV have seen their squad depth tested further, with several first-team players now dealing with fitness issues.
The immediate focus will be on Geertruida's recovery and whether he can return in time for the trip to Heerenveen. PSV have not yet provided a specific timeframe for his return.
The reigning Dutch champions will therefore wait for further assessment before determining whether their summer signing can resume training with the squad ahead of the league's return.
