Despite the loss of his prematurely born daughter, defender Khalid Boulahrouz and the rest of the Netherlands team will be fully focused on Russia and their Dutch coach Guus Hiddink in the quarter-finals of the European Championship tomorrow

Boulahrouz left training on Wednesday after his wife was hospitalised with pregnancy complications. She had followed the tournament with the other players' partners and girlfriends. The death of his daughter Anissa was announced early yesterday.

"Khalid indicated early yesterday that he had given the events a special place," Netherlands coach Marco van Basten said. "He thanked the players and staff and wants to move on. He told me, 'I am a football player and I am available on Saturday."'

If anything, the loss would further increase the resolve and unity of a team that has quickly gelled into a group of friends, where partners, wives and children are never far away.

"We have one goal and Khalid has said that he is going for it. He has shown his strongest side," captain and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar said.

Boulahrouz had started in all three of the Dutch games so far.

The personal tragedy has taken away from the duel between Van Basten and Hiddink, meaning at least one Dutch coach will be in the semifinals.

Hiddink, too, was thinking about the Sevilla defender's loss.

"When something as terrible as this happens, then first of all it is a tragedy for those directly involved and that is more important than any possible effect on team morale," he said from the Russia training camp.

As a coach, Hiddink said, "I would say, 'You shouldn't play.' But if it is liberating for him to play ... then it is up to him."

Besides the burden Boulahrouz has to carry, the overwhelming feeling is that Van Basten stands the best chance of advancing because of his team's sterling first-round record. The Netherlands won Group C with a game to spare, finishing with a perfect nine points by beating world champions Italy 3-0, France 4-1 and Romania, with a backup team, 2-0.