AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Netherlands defender Daley Blind expects to miss the remainder of the club season because of an ankle injury but said Thursday he hopes to be fit for the European Championship.
Blind was hurt during the second half of his country’s 7-0 win over Gibraltar in a World Cup qualifying match on Tuesday.
“I assume that my season at Ajax is over,” Blind said in a statement by his Dutch club. “I will have an operation next week. If everything goes well during rehabilitation, I hope that I can still make it to the Euros this summer.”
Blind said he has torn ligaments in his left ankle.
Ajax leads the Dutch league by 11 points and will play Vitesse Arnhem in the Dutch Cup final on April 18.
Ajax also has reached the quarterfinals of the Europa League, where it will play Roma. The first leg is next week.
“Of course I am terribly disappointed,” Blind said. “You play football to win trophies and those trophies will be won in the coming months.
“Of course, I wanted to be there. It has been a wonderful season with Ajax so far. That now ends very abruptly for me.”
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