Memphis Depay, Robin Van Persie Had Spat in Training According to Danny Blind

Netherlands manager Danny Blind has admitted that Manchester United's Memphis Depay and Fenerbahce striker Robin van Persie had a training ground bust-up prior to their 2-1 win over Kazakhstan.

According to the Guardian's Jamie Jackson, he said: "It was a discussion during a training about a ball that should have been given over. Things like that happen often. There are sometimes situations in training where players think differently. That’s what happened and then it was over."

Blind also rejected the notion the spat influenced his decision to start Van Persie on the bench: "I felt that he was not fit enough to start. I think that’s down to the fact that he has not played without pain for quite a while."

Alexey Filippov/Associated Press

Tensions are clearly running high in the Dutch camp, as despite the win, their chances of finishing in a third-place play-off spot are still slim, with the Oranje needing to beat the Czech Republic and Iceland to beat Turkey in order to do so.

Dutch football writer Elko Born hypothesises Van Persie was frustrated not to start, but he played down the incident's significance:

Still, the news is slightly worrying ahead of their vital match.

The team will need to put in a harmonised performance on Tuesday if they're to have a realistic chance of beating the Czech Republic, who are deservedly second in Group A after a strong campaign.

If they fail to come even third as reports of further rifts emerge, the long-term future of many of their players could be seriously called into question.