Captain Kevin De Bruyne is not part of the selection. The Manchester City player had asked Domenico Tedesco to be exempt from the last two meetings of the year 2024 and is only just returning from injury. Another absence: that of Youri Tielemans, who will play this weekend with Aston Villa but who will then need a two-week break to treat a knee problem. Carrasco, Meunier and Bornauw are also out.
The new addition to the selection is Joaquin Seys. The 19-year-old left-back who plays for Club Bruges was preferred to Killian Sardella (Anderlecht), who was pre-selected. “Joaquin is a left-footed full-back, capable of playing on both sides of the defense. He is a player with personality and he has continued to confirm this in recent weeks,” comments Tedesco, before specifying that Sardella, like Mika Godts and Arthur Vermeeren, will be an important pawn for the Espoirs with a view to the play-off for Euro 2025, against the Czech Republic, on November 15 and 19.
Bold and opportunistic, who is Joaquin Seys, the surprise hatch at Club Bruges
Roméo Lavia appears in the group for the first time since March 2023 and the very first gathering of the Tedesco era. After having had three good meetings with Chelsea, the defensive midfielder seems free of his physical problems. “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen him in the squad but the way he’s playing now is very impressive, especially at a club like Chelsea.”simply commented the coach.
Another return, that of Ameen Al-Dakhil. The Stuttgart defender had not been called up for a year. “He was injured at the start of the year and, like Lavia, it took him a while to come back. We are in contact with his coach and the impression he leaves is good. He has great potential, a player important to us.”
As at every press conference, Domenico recalled that this Nations League is taken seriously by Belgium. “We want to win both matches. We want to beat Italy at home and then win against Israel and see where that takes us in the standings. There is still a small chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.”insists the coach, while recalling that this competition also serves as a laboratory for testing new players.
