Xavi Hernández has expressed his satisfaction with Ruben van Bommel ahead of the Netherlands’ first Nations League match under the new head coach, with the PSV winger in contention to make his Oranje debut against Germany.

The Netherlands face Germany on Thursday evening, marking the beginning of Xavi’s tenure with the national team. Speaking at his pre-match press conference in Zeist, the Spanish coach singled out Van Bommel and Feyenoord midfielder Gjivai Zechiël when discussing the younger players in his squad.

“We will train this afternoon and tomorrow morning we will decide on the squad. They train well, and they are motivated. I’m happy with everyone, and especially with the younger players,” Xavi said, as quoted by Voetbal International.

Van Bommel earned his place in the squad after an impressive start to the season with PSV. The call-up represents a significant return for the winger, who missed the remainder of last campaign after suffering a serious injury against Ajax a year ago.

A possible appearance against Germany would also carry historical significance.

Should Van Bommel feature, he would become the first player in Dutch football history to represent the Netherlands alongside both his father and grandfather. His father, Mark van Bommel, earned 79 caps for Oranje, while grandfather Bert van Marwijk was also involved with the national team as a player and later as a coach.

Van Bommel, however, has played down the significance of the family milestone.

“Naturally, that’s quite special, but I don’t think it’s a reason to celebrate. You have to win something for that,” he previously told VI.

“Even though my father played for the Netherlands team for a long time and I often went along as a child, it still isn’t comparable to when you yourself are selected. It’s all still new; you have to take a moment to see how everything works and adjust yourself.”

Xavi has also praised the quality of the Eredivisie after watching PSV’s 3-1 victory over Ajax earlier this month.

“The standard is good. I watched the match between PSV and Ajax and it was at an excellent level. I thought it was at Champions League level,” he said.

However, De Telegraaf journalist Valentijn Driessen challenged those comments, pointing to recent European results involving Dutch clubs.

“A child’s hand is quickly filled,” Driessen said on the Kick-Off podcast, as relayed by PSV Inside. “I don’t know if it was a week later, but PSV just can’t manage to win against Shakhtar Donetsk. Feyenoord is simply being outplayed by FC Barcelona.”

“At the moment, it’s simply not Champions League level in the Netherlands.”

Driessen also cited Feyenoord’s 5-1 defeat in Barcelona as evidence for his assessment, arguing that the result underlined the gap between Dutch clubs and Europe’s elite.