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Van Bommel's Belgium squad: Courtois out, young keepers in
18 Sep
Summary
- Thibaut Courtois opted out of Nations League matches due to injury.
- Thomas Meunier was surprisingly omitted from the new coach's selection.
- Promising forwards Mika Godts and Malick Fofana earned call-ups.
Mark van Bommel has revealed his first squad as the new head coach for the Belgian national team. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid will not be available for the upcoming Nations League matches due to persistent injury issues. This decision was previously communicated by the player himself.
Defender Thomas Meunier, a member of the 'Golden Generation,' has also been omitted from the squad, despite his regular appearances for Sunderland this season. In Meunier's place, van Bommel has selected Club Brugge defender Kyriani Sabbe. The goalkeeping department features a young quartet: Jari De Busser, Senne Lammens, Mike Penders, and Maarten Vandevoordt, following Matz Sels' retirement.
In attack, PSG forward Mika Godts, who was surprisingly left out of the World Cup squad, has been included. Malick Fofana, who recently transferred to Sunderland, also makes the team. Jeremy Doku is unavailable due to an existing injury.
The midfield has seen Axel Witsel retire, with Mandela Keita and Romeo Lavia earning call-ups. Experienced players Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans, and Hans Vanaken are set to return to the squad. Belgium is scheduled to play away matches against Italy and France, and a home game against Türkiye during the upcoming international break, with another away fixture against France on October 5th.
