The Dutch captaincy has been up for grabs following the international retirement of former first-choice stopper Edwin van der Sar following Euro 2008.

Stekelenburg's appointment was made public by new Oranje boss Bert van Marwijk on Tuesday as he puts the final preparations in place for his first game in charge in Moscow on Wednesday.

Van Marwijk will take just 17 players to the Russian capital for the friendly, however the former Feyenoord boss said that was an ideal situation.

"I have two injured players at the moment, Wilfred Bouma and Wesley Sneijder, that would normally be in the squad," said Van Marwijk, who also saw Khalid Boulahrouz and Orlando Engelaar pull out of his original 19-man squad due to injury on Sunday.

"But I do not like to work with large groups. It is difficult to create a team when you work with them every day, but as a national coach you have even less time to make a team.

"If I work with a group of 25 of 30 players and would change regularly, it would be even more difficult to create a team."

He added: "It's a signal to all professionals in Holland, that they have to bring something extra if they want be in the Dutch squad.

"Apart from some exceptions, they really have to deserve it. That also implies that players that are on the squad may play a lesser match sometimes.

"Just to indicate that I will do everything in my power to make this squad into a good team."

Van Marwijk has acquired a team that impressed at Euro 2008 under Marco Van Basten before they were ousted by the Russians at the quarter-finals stage.

That 3-1 extra-time defeat brought a premature end to a campaign that had promised much after the Oranje progressed from the 'Group of Death' by winning each game and scoring nine goals in the process.

But Van Marwijk believes the Russians, led by the creative talent of Andrei Arshavin, were able to create too many chances in their quarter-final victory and that Wednesday's re-match is the perfect opportunity to improve in that area.

"During Euro 2008 we have shown that we are a good team. We have the most creative players behind our strikers," he said.

"We have a lot of scoring types, we are creative and quick. We only have to learn to play without giving away too many chances."

One of the major talking points of Van Marwijk's first game in charge has been his selection of Mark van Bommel, who is his son-in-law, and who has not appeared with the national team since the 2006 World Cup following a fall-out with Van Basten.

Despite his relationship with the midfielder, Van Marwijk does not forecast any problems, saying: "I think it will be more difficult for Mark than it is for me.

"We will have to go an see how things work out. The players will just have to find out for themselves. If they notice they can't say anything to him, also about me, then we will have to work on that."

Russia will be without the services of full-back Aleksandr Anyukov and midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov after they were ruled out due to injury.

Anyukov did not meet up with the national team in Moscow on Monday after sustaining a rib injury while playing with Zenit St Petersburg.

Bilyaletdinov was ruled out of boss Guus Hiddink's side on Monday night after he failed to respond to treatment on a muscle injury.