With Bundesliga legionaries Mathijs de Ligt of FC Bayern München and Jeremie Frimpong of Leverkusen, the Dutch national football team will compete at the World Cup in Qatar.

However, de Ligt’s club colleague Ryan Gravenberch from FC Bayern, Dortmund attacker Donyell Malen and goalkeeper Mark Flekken from SC Freiburg are missing from Bonds coach Louis van Gaal’s 26-man squad.

In return, van Gaal called up three former Germany legionnaires in Davy Klaassen, Luuk de Jong and Wout Weghorst for the tournament in the desert. The three-time World Cup runners-up will be led by defender Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool FC) and FC Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong.

Van Gaal said his team had more quality than the squad with which he finished third in Brazil in 2014. “We have a good chance of becoming world champions. But I also count Germany among the favourites,” van Gaal said.

His most important piece of luggage is his computer, the 71-year-old explained – and also revealed that his wife Truus had given him three pairs of Oranje pants. “Three, so they can be washed,” the Bonds coach joked.

The Dutch start the preliminary round Group A as favourites. Their opponents in Qatar are Senegal (21 November), Ecuador (25) and the host nation (29). – The Dutch World Cup line-up:

Goal: Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Remko Pasveer (Ajax Amsterdam), Andries Noppert (SC Heerenveen)

Defence: Mathijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Virgil van Dijk (FC Liverpool), Nathan Ake (Manchester City), Daley Blind, Jurrien Timber (both Ajax Amsterdam), Denzel Dumfries, Stefan de Vrij (both Inter Milan), Tyrell Malacia (Manchester United)

Midfield/Attack: Frenkie de Jong, Memphis Depay (both FC Barcelona), Steven Berghuis, Davy Klaassen, Kenneth Taylor, Steven Bergwijn (all Ajax Amsterdam), Teun Koopmeiners, Marten de Roon(both Atalanta Bergamo), Cody Gakpo, Xavi Simons, Luuk de Jong (all PSV Eindhoven), Vincent Janssen (Royal Antwerp), Noa Lang (FC Brugge), Wout Weghorst (Besiktas Istanbul)