Donyell Malen has gone from squad option to a serious World Cup attacking case. He has 13 goals and 2 assists from 16 Serie A starts for Roma, while Xavi Simons has been ruled out of the tournament with a serious knee injury.

Why Malen now looks like the clearest attacking winner

That combination matters for Netherlands, even with Ronald Koeman still having a strong base to work from. Jurriën Timber remains part of the wider picture, and the squad has enough defensive quality to feel settled. The issue is more obvious in attack, where Simons' absence leaves a gap in the creative spine.

Malen's Roma numbers are hard to ignore because they are not coming from a handful of cameos. The 13 goals and 2 assists have arrived across 16 Serie A starts, which gives the form a proper sample size. Sports Mole summed it up neatly: "On a more positive note, Malen has been in sensational form for Roma, contributing 13 goals and two assists from 16 starts in Serie A."

Netherlands also go into the tournament on a 10-match unbeaten streak since June 2025, so Koeman is not working from a crisis position. But the Simons injury does change the shape of the conversation, and Malen is the player most clearly benefiting from it.

What the group picture and recent form mean

The Dutch will face Japan, Sweden and Tunisia in their World Cup group. That is a manageable stage for a team that has reached the quarter-finals in each of their last three World Cup appearances, but it also raises the value of players who can decide tight games quickly.

Malen fits that better now than he did a few months ago. The Roma form points to a forward who is producing goals and a little final-ball value, and the injury to Simons removes one of the most natural attacking alternatives. Sports Mole also noted that Simons' absence leaves Manchester City's Tijjani Reijnders in line to feature as a number 10.

For Koeman, the practical question is how much of Malen's club rhythm carries across to the national team. Based on the evidence here, the answer is enough to make him hard to leave out. If that form continues, the Netherlands' attack will look less like a puzzle and more like a choice between Malen and the rest.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →