Without Romeny, Indonesia team struggles before World Cup qualifiers

Naturalized striker Ole Romeny suffered a serious injury and will be absent from Indonesia's important matches in the fourth qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup in Asia.

Ole Romeny suffered a serious injury and cannot participate in the 4th round of the World Cup Qualifiers with Indonesia. Photo: FBNV .

This is a big loss for the Indonesian team as the 25-year-old player has had an impressive performance since becoming a naturalized citizen. According to CNN Indonesia , Romeny was injured in a recent friendly match and had to undergo surgery on July 17.

The recovery time is expected to last at least 3 months, meaning he will definitely miss two matches against Saudi Arabia (October 8) and Iraq (October 11) in Group B, Fourth Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

"It will be difficult for Romeny to return in October. This is a big shock but we have to keep moving forward. The remaining players in this position need to show their best," said Indonesian coach Patrick Kluivert.

The absence of the Dutch striker leaves coach Kluivert with a big problem in attack. Ole Romeny and Marselino Ferdinan are Indonesia's main attacking duo, both playing for Oxford United (England).

In his first three matches for the Indonesian national team, Romeny scored, especially two goals against Bahrain and China, helping the team from the archipelago win a ticket to the final qualifying round.

According to experts, with the loss of a versatile player like Romeny, coach Kluivert must adjust tactics and find a replacement immediately. One of the options could be Mauro Zijlstra. The 20-year-old striker, who is 1.88 m tall, is completing naturalization procedures. However, CNN Indonesia said it is still unclear whether Zijlstra will be called up or not.

Romeny's injury not only affects the quality of the squad but also deals a heavy blow to Indonesia's ambition to advance to the fourth qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

Source: https://znews.vn/vang-romeny-tuyen-indonesia-lao-dao-truoc-vong-loai-world-cup-post1569555.html