Leroy Fer Injury: Updates on Netherlands Star's Hamstring and Return

Netherlands midfielder Leroy Fer is likely to miss the country's World Cup last 16 match with Mexico after suffering an injury in training.

The Norwich City star suffered a hamstring injury in practice and will be unavailable for the match on Sunday.

Bleacher Report's Dutch football writer, Elko Born confirmed the news on his Twitter account:

Elko later varified the serious nature of the injury:

The Dutch FA also confirmed the incident via its official website, with Fer described as "having limped off, having felt pain in his left thigh," per Vital Norwich, at the team's Flamengo training complex in Rio de Janeiro.

Fer had a good season for Norwich, despite the club's woes in the Premier League last year.

He featured 29 times for the Canaries in the league, per WhoScored.com, scoring four times and providing one assist. 

Wong Maye-E/Associated Press

The 24-year-old made his World Cup bow in Brazil during the Netherlands' dogged 2-0 victory over Chile, coming on in the 75th minute for Wesley Sneijder.

It took the player just two minutes to open his goalscoring account, notching the opening goal of the victory. 

Fer is very much one of Louis van Gaal's extended squad, but the new Manchester United coach will not be wanting to lose any of his players at this stage of the competition. Fer has an eye for goal and his effort against Chile shows he will be a miss for the Netherlands.

Bookmaker Paddy Power tweeted about Fer after his goalscoring exploits in Brazil, suggesting tongue-in-cheek that the player was now statistically the best World Cup player ever:

Offering power and an aerial threat, Fer provides a different option for Van Gaal, but the Dutch coach will need to find a different Plan B against Mexico.

With the unpredictable nature of hamstring injuries, Fer's involvement for the rest of the competition is certainly in doubt as the games become more high pressured and physically intense. He is now in a race against time to prove his fitness and not suffer the heartbreak of having his World Cup dreams shattered.