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Matthijs de Ligt has made three Premier League appearances for Manchester United since his arrival Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman said he substituted Manchester United centre-back Matthijs de Ligt during their 2-2 draw with Germany on Tuesday night to "protect" him. De Ligt, 25, was replaced at half-time in the Uefa Nations League clash in Amsterdam by Brighton's Jan Paul van Hecke after the defender had a hand in both of Germany's first-half goals. A misplaced pass in the first half led to Deniz Undav equalising before his failed clearance led to Joshua Kimmich giving Germany the lead, just three days after De Ligt made mistakes in the Dutch's 5-2 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Of course I would rather have kept [Matthijs de Ligt] on the pitch, " Koeman told Dutch broadcaster NOS. “It just looks like he is now in a period where all his mistakes are being punished. "I gave him a new chance today but eventually I protected him by taking him off. " Koeman spoke publicly on De Ligt's performance in their win on Saturday, where he was unable to mark 38-year-old striker Edin Dzeko as he scored Bosnia's second goal in Amsterdam. "We have discussed it, " Koeman said in his press conference on Monday before the draw against Germany. "He did not get his footwork right. It was a bad individual moment for a defender. You have to learn from that, it is clear that these kinds of moments need to be improved. "But we should not be dramatic about it and put too much emphasis on it. " De Ligt, who has 45 international caps, only joined United last month from Bayern Munich in a deal worth over £42m (including add-ons). Competing with De Ligt in Koeman's squad for minutes are fellow Premier League defenders Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake, Micky van der Ven, Jurrien Timber, Van Hecke and Sven Botman, who is currently injured. During the 2-2 draw, Manchester City's Ake was stretchered off in the first half with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast Get football news sent straight to your phone Davis Cup: Great Britain v Finland - live text The slow death of the screamer Premier League latest: Injuries news and build-up Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer star in this epic Western Two strangers are drawn together in a violent landscape built on dreams and blood The fiery Harris v Trump debate: All you need to know Join the Americast team to keep up to date with the 2024 US election Is it a good idea for Gemma to flatshare with her dad? A big-hearted family story with Aimee Lou Wood and David Morrissey The chilling allegations that ignited a British conspiracy In 2014, two children told London police a shocking story… 'Carsley has put his stamp on England - job feels like his to lose' 'Night belongs to him and his golden boots' - Kane's 100 caps in numbers Will 'genius' Newey turn Aston Martin into winners? 'The cash came up to my torso' - tales of a match-fixer Who else has 100 England caps? Kane nears milestone Bellamy, The Bear and the 'non-negotiables' of Wales The rise of padel and why it's so popular F1 Q&A: Will the title go down to the wire? Wade has Premiership try record 'in sights' Europe warned to expect hostile Solheim Cup atmosphere Allen's hurdling and a 96-yard touchdown - NFL best plays. Video Allen's hurdling and a 96-yard touchdown - NFL best plays Will cloud hang over Sinner's US Open victory? 'They've hammered them! ' Sri Lanka thrash England in final Test Video'They've hammered them! ' Sri Lanka thrash England in final Test 'Don't make Coldplay comparison - England should aim for winning mentality' Cowboys, Bears & Dolphins win on dramatic first NFL Sunday Relaxed Murray surprised he does not miss playing GB win medals in all but one sport - best Paris 2024 stats Seven of the best stories from a brilliant Paralympics Sabalenka 'living best life' after solving US Open struggles The best pictures from the 2024 Paralympics © 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.