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Robin van Persie trains separately from squad; receives pep-talk from Louis van Gaal

REUTERS

Now that we're down to the nitty gritty of the 2014 World Cup, it's time to scrutinize every single thing that happens or is rumored to have happened. With the semi-finals set to begin on Tuesday, the stakes are high, and we don't want to miss anything that might be important.

For instance, Dutch forward Robin van Persie — who has appeared listless in the Netherlands' two knockout stage matches — trained separately from the rest of the squad during their Tuesday morning session, working out with right back Daryl Janmaat — who hasn't played since the final group stage match against Chile.

At one point during practice, Louis van Gaal took van Persie aside, and according to the Daily Mail, gave the Manchester United striker a pep-talk, perhaps to motivate van Persie ahead of Wednesday's clash with Argentina.

While van Persie and Janmaat trained separately, Nigel de Jong (groin) and Ron Vlaar (knees) both participated in a full practice with the rest of the squad, further fuelling speculation that the two could be surprise inclusions in the Dutch starting XI. 

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