Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has hinted that the country’s leading top goalscorer Romelu Lukaku could be left out of the World Cup squad if not fit.
Lukaku is undergoing daily tests with Belgium team doctors, having made two substitute appearances for Inter Milan since August.
Martinez is set to name his squad for Qatar on Thursday. He says he is leaving it as late as possible to decide on the Inter Milan forward. The 29-year-old has been sidelined with a hamstring injury and is working his way back to fitness.
Martinez has boldly stated that Lukaku must be fit enough to play in the group stage at the World Cup, or he will not be selected.
ROMELU LUKAKU TO MISS OUT?
“The decision will be made just before we announce the list,” L’Equipe quoted him.
“It will relate to the three first-round matches. If he is fit to participate in one of those, he is a player we want in our team. If he cannot, he will not be selected.”
Belgium open their campaign against Canada on November 23 before meeting Morocco four days later and Croatia on December 1.
“We are seeing signs of improvement, but we will wait until just before the announcement to give us more time,” added Martinez.
“We have to assess the improvement to help estimate the timeline for his recovery. If he’s fit by December 1, he’ll be with us.”
IS THIS BELGIUM’S TURN
Belgium’s “golden generation” have one more chance to shed their reputation as serial underachievers.
Boasting a star-studded line-up featuring Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, and Eden Hazard. The European country will be ranked as one of the favourites when the tournament gets underway on November 20.
At the 2014 World Cup, Belgium bowed out against Argentina in the quarter-finals.
Four years later, they lost to France in the World Cup semi-finals in what so far rates as the best run of an era that promised so much for the Red Devils.
