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When Kevin Strootman injured his knee in March, it was seen as a terrible blow for Netherlands.

Dutch football writer Elko Born even explained that manager Louis Van Gaal was "devastated" when he spoke to me ahead of the World Cup.

Yet Van Gaal shifted the Dutch formation from the traditional 4-3-3 to a 5-3-2 to cover up the weakness in defence and also to give Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder greater freedom.

Van Persie and Robben have started off this World Cup like a house on fire scoring three goals each as the Netherlands qualified for the last-16 in consummate style.

Yet Sneijder has been in the duo's shadow in Brazil so far and his statistics make for average reading.

The 2010 Champions League winner, who also led Holland to the last World Cup final with a five-goal showing, has only completed 77 per cent of his passes over the past two games, struggling particularly in the Australia game.

In that 3 - 2 win over the Socceroos, the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid midfielder only found his man with 75 per cent of his passes.

Meanwhile, he has created five chances during the tournament, with one of those being an assist in the Spain match, where he set up Arjen Robben with 10 minutes to go.

Far more peripheral against Australia he tended to operate more from the left, particularly after the change of shape to 4-3-3.

Sneijder has been admittedly off the boil since 2010 but the Oranje will have to hope for greater output from the Galatasaray playmaker as the World Cup hots up.