The Dutch star Memphis Depay faces the risk of missing the World Cup, as he suffers from a complicated muscle injury that has slowed his return to the field more than expected, turning his situation into something like a 'race against time' to catch up with the anticipated tournament.

Depay sustained a thigh injury while playing for his team Corinthians in Brazil, before the problem worsened due to a setback during the rehabilitation period, which delayed his return again. These developments have raised concerns among the Dutch national team's coaching staff, who are closely monitoring the player's condition at present.

For his part, coach Ronald Koeman emphasized the necessity for Depay to reach full physical readiness, affirming that participation in a tournament as significant as the World Cup requires players to be at the highest physical and technical level, not just partially recovered from injury.

Given the limited time before the tournament kicks off, Depay's fate hinges on his ability to regain fitness and participate in matches in the coming weeks, as this phase will largely determine his chances of being included in the final Dutch squad. He is an extremely important player, being the national team's all-time top scorer.