Kevin De Bruyne was included in Belgium’s squad for next week’s Nations League matches, but Romelu Lukaku was omitted after asking for time off to concentrate on getting fit after his move to Napoli, coach Domenico Tedesco announced on Friday.
There had been much speculation about the international future of the 33-year-old De Bruyne, who had complained about a potentially exhausting season with multiple commitments ahead for both his club Manchester City and the Belgian side.
But Tedesco, while omitting several regulars to open the way for younger players, said De Bruyne was essential to his plans to bring on a younger generation during the six matches of Nations League Group A2 between September and November.
Belgium start against Israel on Sept. 6, in a match that has been moved from Brussels to Debrecen in Hungary because of security concerns, and face France in Lyon three days later.
“We have these six months now till we start the qualification for the World Cup to try something. We can bring in fresh players to test a little bit, see how they’re going to perform and to give them the stage,” Tedesco said at a press conference.
FUTURE
As a result, Yannick Carrasco, Leonardo Trossard and Axel Witsel have been dropped after the coach called them to explain his plans but he said they might yet be called up again in the future.
“We know their qualities so we can try others now. But Kevin (De Bruyne) is an exception. Kevin is our captain, and I think that around Kevin we can let grow these young players,” the coach added.
Lukaku, whose move from Chelsea to Napoli was finalised on Thursday, had asked for time off to work on his fitness but was expected back later in the year, the coach added.
There was a first call-up for 18-year-old Julien Duranville from Borussia Dortmund while central defender Jan Vertonghen has retired from international football and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is refusing to play under Tedesco.
SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Koen Casteels (Al Qadsiah), Thomas Kaminski (Luton Town), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest)
Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting Lisbon), Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge), Koni De Winter (Genoa), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Julien Duranville (Borussia Dortmund), Arne Engels (FC Augsburg), Orel Mangala (Olympique Lyonnais), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Arthur Vermeeren (RB Leipzig)
Forwards: Johan Bakayoko (PSV Eindhoven), Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla), Lois Openda (RB Leipzig).