Manchester United: Robin van Persie doubt for Tottenham and Liverpool after Netherlands omission

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has been omitted from the Netherlands squad, raising further concerns over the player's ankle injury.

Van Persie, 31, suffered the knock in the closing stages of United's 2-1 defeat to Swansea City on 21 February, missing United's last three games as a result. Manager Louis van Gaal has been unable to provide a return date for the former Arsenal striker but his absence from the Dutch squad suggests he may not be ready to return until April.

Guus Hiddink's side take on Turkey on 28 March in a Euro 2016 qualifier before facing Spain in a friendly on 31 March. Uncapped striker Bas Dos, who has been in stunning form for Wolfsburg, was instead named in the preliminary squad.

Speaking to the press ahead of the 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on 4 March, Van Gaal stressed it was too early to pencil in a comeback for the stricken striker. He said: "It is difficult to say as, in every training session, you can be injured or the fatigue specialist can say he is not fit enough to play a game.

"And then I have to decide not to use that player. So it is always difficult to say but the only injured player is Van Persie. It is too quick to say anything about the [the length of his absence."

With United's hopes of securing silverware this season extinguished following their FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, Van Gaal's only priority is to now secure a top-four finish.

United have two pivotal fixtures before the international break at the end of the month, the visit of Tottenham Hotspur on 15 March and a trip to Liverpool on 22 March.

The decision by the Netherlands to not call up the player, despite needing a positive result against Turkey having taken just six points from their opening four matches, suggests Van Persie is unlikely to be considered for those two Premier League games.