Stekelenburg blow for Ajax and Oranje

Maarten Stekelenburg is set to miss a series of important games for both UEFA Europa League contenders AFC Ajax and the Netherlands national team after breaking the thumb on his right hand.

The goalkeeper suffered the injury during training with Ajax on Saturday and will miss the club's round of 16 trip to FC Spartak Moskva on Thursday, with his side trailing 1-0 after the first leg. "The Ajax captain is certain to be out for four to six weeks," read a statement from the Dutch outfit, who are also without back-up custodian Kenneth Vermeer due to an Achilles injury. Jeroen Verhoeven is expected to take over between the posts during Stekelenburg's absence.

"The ball hit my hand the wrong way, right on the top of my thumb. At first I didn't notice the pain, so I trained for another half-hour," said Stekelenburg, who only realised part of the bone was broken after a scan. "It's a real setback, especially at this stage of the season when there are important matches for Ajax and the Dutch national team."

The 28-year-old will likewise be sidelined for the Netherlands' pair of UEFA EURO 2012 qualifiers against Hungary on 25 and 29 March. The Oranje are top of Group E with maximum points from four games.