Defender Matthijs de Ligt is deserving of his recall to the Netherlands squad after several strong performances for Manchester United, said Dutch coach Ronald Koeman on Monday, Reuters reported.

De Ligt, who scored a late equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday, returns to the squad in place of Inter Milan's Stefan de Vrij, who has been dropped for World Cup qualifiers against Poland and Lithuania.

The Dutch have a three-point lead over Poland and a much better goal difference and will qualify if they win in Warsaw on Friday. If not, they are expected to secure their berth at next year's finals when they host Lithuania in Amsterdam on Monday, according to Reuters.