Belgium Recall Doku as Lukaku Drops Out Due to Hip Injury Ahead of Turkey Clash

Belgium have received a boost ahead of their final Nations League matches, with Jeremy Doku back in the squad after missing the previous four games through injury. His return has given coach Mark van Bommel more options to choose from, something he described as a welcome problem on Wednesday.

Doku was also unable to make much of an impact at the World Cup after falling ill during the tournament. Now fully fit, the winger could feature against Turkey on Thursday and Italy on Sunday as Belgium look to finish their Group A1 campaign strongly.

"I'm ‌very pleased to have Jeremy back ⁠in the squad," ‌said Belgium manager Mark van Bommel.

"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," added Mark van Bommel.

Belgium also have some fitness concerns, as their leading goalscorer, Romelu Lukaku, has been ruled out of the upcoming clash against Turkey due to a hip injury. Van Bommel said the striker was able to train with the squad yesterday, but the management decided to give him a rest to avoid any serious issues.

"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," said Mark van Bommel.

Van Bommel then described the importance of Lukaku, saying he is an important player for the team, which is why they are keen to get him back in the lineup ahead of the competitive Italy clash.

"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.” said Mark van Bommel.