When Manchester United held talks with Justin Bijlow last summer, before eventually agreeing terms with Inter Milan for Andre Onana, any Red Devils supporter who had done their digging on the £20 million-rated Feyenoord goalkeeper could have been forgiven for expressing their concerns.
And not purely because Erik ten Hag’s record when it comes to bringing in players he knows from the Eredivisie – Lisandro Martinez excellent but Antony and Wout Weghorst underwhelming – was patchy to say the least.
Justin Bijlow missed 16 games during Feyenoord’s league-winning campaign in 2022/23 with a wrist fracture. In fact, since breaking into the first-team picture at De Kuip seven years ago, Bijlow has only once played more than 25 Eredivisie matches in a single campaign.
There have been wrist issues, knee problems, foot and elbow surgery, and the odd knock. It’s not often you find an ‘injury-prone’ goalkeeper. But Bijlow appears to be exactly that, and that ‘injury prone’ tag is a difficult one to shake.
Another blow for Feyenoord’s Justin Bijlow
According to Transfermarkt – a reoccurrence of that broken wrist keeping him out again at the start of the current campaign – the Dutch international has now been unavailable for no fewer than 170 matches in the last six years. A number which appears destined to rise, Bijlow limping off with tears in his eyes and anguish etched on his face last weekend after suffering a calf strain which could keep him out of action for a further six weeks.
“I think everyone sympathizes with him, when you see him leave the field in tears,” AZ Alkmaar midfielder De Wit tells VoetbalPrimeur, having suffered his fair share of injury issues himself of late.
“Everyone has an injury sometimes, but he has it very often now. That does something to you.”
Manchester United held talks with £20m ace
Bijlow, who confirmed that he had ‘contact’ with Manchester United over the summer, could now be facing an uncertain future at De Kuip, former Feyenoord glovesman Joop Hiele wondering how much longer Arne Slot can keep relying on a man who spends as much time on the treatment table as he does on the pitch.
“This is, of course, terrible for a sportsman,” Hiele argues to ESPN “But you should not close your eyes to reality either. He is out for a long period of time every season and misses half of the matches.
“Feyenoord really has to ask themselves; ‘what next’?”
Well, what’s next for Bijlow, is another frustrating period of rehabilitation. They say ‘the best ability is availability’. And, unfortunately, it appears availability is one ability Justin Bijlow lacks.
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