The Holland coach, Bert van Marwijk, has dropped Nigel de Jong from his squad after the Manchester City midfielder was involved in a tackle that left the Newcastle United winger Hatem Ben Arfa with a broken left leg.

Van Marwijk said he saw "no alternative" but to remove De Jong from his squad to play Moldova and Sweden in the upcoming Euro 2010 qualifiers.

Ben Arfa was injured in a robust challenge by De Jong in the third minute of yesterday's match, which City won 2-1. Newcastle said x-rays confirmed that the Frenchman had suffered a broken tibia and fibula of his left leg and would undergo surgery this morning.

"I've seen the pictures back," Van Marwijk added in the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper. "It was a wild and unnecessary offence. He went in much too hard. It is unfortunate, especially since he does not need to do it.

"The funny thing is that the referee did not even show a yellow card for it. Apparently, there are other standards. But I have a problem with the way Nigel needlessly looks to push the limit. I am going to speak to him."

It is not the first time De Jong has come under the microscope for his aggressive play, having caused the Bolton Wanderers and United States midfielder Stuart Holden a fractured right fibula on international duty in March and then got away with a chest-high challenge on Spain's Xabi Alonso in the World Cup final.

hes a retard

i pray all the refs start picking on him. he shd bag like 10 red cards b4 the end of the season and a possible expulsion from EPL

why do some players set out to injure people?

animals

Good move by Van Maarwijk.

I hope Raddy Antic or whoever is Serbias coach now would do the same to that thug Vidic who seems to get away with murder in the Prem.

English referees are retarded.

It was an English ref that overlooked his attempted murder at the world cup finals

Another English ref didnt book him for the tackle on Ben Arfa.

Retardation is a dominant gene in the English football system

Ibime:

Good move by Van Maarwijk.

I hope Raddy Antic or whoever is Serbias coach now would do the same to that thug Vidic who seems to get away with murder in the Prem.

stupid commentary

how can any sane person compare De Jongs malicious attacks with Vidics ruggedness

shd we say Essien should be banned by the Ghanaian coach cos of his rugged tackles?

nonsense

De Jong is a thug.
Heard this is the second leg he's breaking in 9 months
that is minus the attempt to break Alonso's ribs.
Come on, this is football. . . (beautiful game) not some sadistic sport

De jong is the modern day version of Graeme souness. . . he should be banned for 3 epl matches.

jalether:

De jong is the modern day version of Graeme souness. . . he should be banned for 3 epl matches.

just 3 matches?

he shd be banned for 10 games. wtf

against Chelsea, i tot he was on drugs

tkb417:

just 3 matches?

he shd be banned for 10 games. wtf

against Chelsea, i tot he was on drugs

This is personal

Some players take the idea of footie being a contact sport way too far. Webb shoulda been banned from footie for failing to send him off at the WCF for

his tackle on Alonso

That dutch miscreant should be banned for 10 games.He tackles as if that is his way to heaven.

And English refs are so dumb and incapable that no one could give him a red card both at the world cup and last weekend. You need to see how German refs tamed his brother Van Bommel with many suspensions and cards

Serves him right. He's psycho. He enjoys nasty challenges.