Rijkaard concerned about cautions

Frank De Boer (far right) may be rested against France

Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard has revealed his concerns at the prospect of losing some of his key players through suspension.

Holland play France on Wednesday in a Group B decider and four Dutch defenders have already picked up bookings in their two games so far.

Frank De Boer, Bert Konterman, Edwin van Der Sar and Michael Reiziger are all on yellow cards and will miss the quarter-final if they are booked on Wednesday.

With those cautions eradicated once the group stages are complete and Holland's quarter-final place already secure, the temptation for Rijkaard is to rest those players to ensure their availability later in the competition.

They are more likely to get booked because they are involved in more challenges and this is a worry

Holland coach
Frank Rijkaard

"It could be a consideration but there is no clear answer to that yet.

"We have four defenders on yellow cards and they are more likely to get booked because they are involved in more challenges and this is a worry for us."

Captain Frank De Boer said: "I don't know what the manager will decide to do because it is a risk but I always want to play."

Giovanni van Bronkhorst has already picked up two cautions and so definitely misses out through suspension.

Injury problems

Rijkaard also has injury problems for Wednesday's match at the Amsterdam Arena.

There are doubts about the fitness of Reiziger, Jaap Stam, Marc Overmars and Clarence Seedorf.

Reiziger is suffering with an ankle injury, Stam has a groin strain, Overmars a sore calf and Seedorf a twisted knee.