Compared to the selection announcement last Friday, no fewer than four players have already been dropped: Joaquin Seys, Jérémy Doku, Charles De Ketelaere and Malick Fofana had to be replaced by Kilian Sardella (22), Samuel Mbangula (20), Albert Sambi Lokonga (25) and Arthur Vermeeren (19). Youri Tielemans, Kevin De Bruyne, Thomas Meunier and Sebastiaan Bornauw were not available last week.
“I have never experienced such a situation,” said the national coach, who is also only 39 years old. “I think that from the fifty-man pre-selection we made, no fewer than twenty players are unavailable. That’s really a lot. So the last few days have been very busy dealing with it. My biggest problem is that we mainly influenced the U21 selection because of those injuries. They play important jump-offs for the European Championship against the Czech Republic.”
Suddenly there is Sambi Lokonga as the Red Devil (right of Theate) — © BELGIUM
“My biggest problem is actually that we mainly influenced the U21 selection because of those injuries.”
Domenico Tedesco
National coach
By calling up Vandevoordt, Debast, Smets, Engels, Lavia and Bakayoko to the A-selection, the national coach had already complimented the U21 considerably. And now Sardella, Mbangula and Vermeeren were taken away once again. “We’ve had a number of meetings with Gill (Swerts, promising coach, ed.) and we try to make the best of it. Normally we don’t want to touch those players, but in some circumstances it has no other option. We did not take Mandela Keita because we had Sambi Lokonga.”
Debutante Ball
The national coach says it all in a relaxed way. However. To play an eleven against eleven match, he had Lucas Stassin (19 years old, ex-Anderlecht, ex-Westerlo and now Saint-Etienne) train with him yesterday. However, he sticks to his promises. It shouldn’t get too crazy. The selection of Sardella and Mbangula has already brought the number of debutants under Tedesco to 23 players in a year and a half. Italy must be given a match with these debutants. This is the last chance for the Red Devils to make something of this Nations League.
“We will certainly not raise the white flag,” says the national coach. “This group is young and also interesting, very interesting. I’m looking forward to the match. The starting XI won’t be that big of a difference, although I would have liked to have Fofana start before he dropped out. But the substitutes’ bench is very young, with many new faces. That is also interesting. We have now completed two training sessions with high intensity and a positive atmosphere. These new guys have guts and are good. There is no reason to be negative about that.”
“It’s about the aura. Lukaku shines for everyone. You need a player like that”
Domenico Tedesco
National coach
Lukaku (right) with the other ‘captain’ Onana — © BELGIUM
Lukaku
A wink here, a high five there and a chat there. The national coach took his time with everything. Because he knows: there is still Lukaku. Happy. In the sense of ‘Romelu is here, so everything will be fine’.
“It’s about the aura,” says Tedesco. “He’s beaming. He shines for everyone. You need a player like that. Lukaku talks a lot on the field and in a positive way. Take pressure, for example. He always has an eye for that. Also where the teammates have to walk. He is a natural leader and that is what we need.”
“That is important to me. The players have to play the game, not me,” Tedesco explains. “We have three or four weeks to prepare for such a match, but circumstances are constantly changing. These days are the best proof. So we have to reschedule. But then I always want feedback from the field, and I get that from Romelu. What is going well? What not? This way we can change things together.”
Lukaku will certainly kick off against Italy. But the question is whether that will still be the case against Israel on Sunday in Budapest. The result against the Italians and the possibility of qualification are important for this. The relaxed national coach waits.
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