Soccer-Belgium get Doku back but Lukaku out with hip problem


Soccer Football - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Manchester City - The City Ground, Nottingham, Britain - November 7, 2026 Manchester City's Jeremy Doku in action Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Nov 11 (Reuters) - The return ⁠of JeremyDoku to the Belgium squad has handed coach Mark ⁠van Bommel a luxury problem, he said on Wednesday.

Doku, who was ‌ill during the World Cup and had a subdued tournament, missed the opening four matches of the new Nations League campaign in September and October because of injury.

The ​winger is now fit, however, for their ⁠last two Group A1 fixtures ⁠against Turkey in Izmir on Thursday and Italy in Brussels on Sunday.

"I'm ⁠very ‌pleased to have Jeremy back in the squad," Van Bommel told a press conference.

"It certainly makes selecting the starting line-up ⁠more difficult, but I think all five wingers are ​capable of playing ‌on either side. It's a puzzle, but a nice problem to ⁠have. I ​can't give you an answer yet as to who will play," he said.

Belgium, however, will be without record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku.

"Romelu is having some problems ⁠with his hip. He was already feeling it ​yesterday. He is still able to train, but we have mutually decided not to include him in the line-up," added the coach.

"He is an ⁠important player for us, both on and off the pitch. He's only started one match so far, but he has already made an important contribution, including as a substitute.

"So I hope I can get him ​fit again in time for the match against ⁠Italy," Van Bommel said.

Belgium are third in Group A1 with six points, ​behind leaders France on 10 and Italy ‌on seven. The top two advance to ​the quarter-finals in March.

France face Italy in Milan on Thursday.

(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Toby Davis)

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