Belgium Loses Nicolas Lombaerts, Dedryck Boyata
Belgium coach Marc Wilmots is battling a mounting crisis as Nicolas Lombaerts and Dedryck Boyata joined his long list of injured defenders.
OMNISPORT
Belgium has lost center backs Nicolas Lombaerts and Dedryck Boyata from its Euro 2016 campaign, as the pair has joined captain Vincent Kompany on the sidelines in a mounting defensive injury crisis.
A hamstring issue has sidelined Zenit St. Petersburg defender Lombaerts, while Celtic's Boyata will not recover in time from the unspecified problem he picked up in training on Monday.
Belgium was already without a first-choice defender in the form of national team skipper Vincent Kompany. The Manchester City captain suffered a groin injury in the Champions League semifinal second leg at Real Madrid earlier this month.
Head coach Marc Wilmots has called up Genk's Christian Kabasele, uncapped at senior international level, as a replacement.
"I'm not here to complain, I'm here to find solutions," the coach said, having also lost Club Brugge center back Bjorn Engels to injury.
Engels' club colleague, righ -back Thomas Meunier, is only expected to return to fitness shortly before the start of the tournament, while Thomas Vermaelen has barely featured for Barcelona in 2015-16.
There are also concerns for the Red Devils in midfield, with Tottenham's Mousa Dembele out for a week due to a minor muscle tear.
Radja Nainggolan is nearing a return to action from the calf problem he suffered in Roma's friendly against Al Ahly on May 20.
"I really have to be careful with Radja, we cannot take any risks, but ... I want to see him play Sunday against Norway," Wilmots said.
Yannick Carrasco, who joined the training camp on Monday after Atletico Madrid's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday, is not likely to feature in Belgium's friendly against Finland on Wednesday.
Belgium begins its Group E campaign at the European Championship with a match against Italy in Lyon on June 13.