Within the absence of Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, Belgium head coach Domenico Tedesco has confidence his younger gamers can take centre stage in opposition to Italy.
Belgium journey to the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday to face the Azzurri of their Nations League group A2 conflict, hoping to bounce again from their 2-0 defeat to France final month.
However they’ll have to take action within the absence of two of their most artistic gamers in Lukaku and De Bruyne.
Lukaku has made a fantastic begin to life underneath Antonio Conte at Napoli, scoring three targets and laying on an additional 4 assists in 5 Serie A outings thus far.
The 31-year-old can be Belgium’s all-time main goalscorer, netting 85 targets in 119 appearances, however has not earned a recall to the squad after being dropped final month.
Manchester Metropolis’s De Bruyne requested to skip Belgium’s remaining Nations League fixtures for 2024 as a way to handle his workload.
De Bruyne performed each of Belgium’s video games within the September worldwide break, as they beat Israel 3-1 earlier than shedding to France in Lyon.
However Tedesco is assured that the Purple Devils’ “new technology” can get leads to their upcoming Nations League fixtures.
“We’ve some absent gamers … However we have now many promising kids, a brand new technology, stuffed with expertise; we’re completely happy,” Tedesco stated.
Roma. #DEVILTIME pic.twitter.com/2CEZhRNxYe
— Belgian Purple Devils (@BelRedDevils) October 9, 2024
Following Belgium’s defeat to France, De Bruyne made headlines by questioning the mentality and combating spirit of Tedesco’s workforce.
Nonetheless, the 33-year-old pledged his dedication to the nationwide facet till a minimum of the 2026 World Cup.
Fellow midfielder Youri Tielemans agreed with De Bruyne’s frustrations, and stated the incident was firmly behind them forward of squaring off in opposition to Italy.
“It was a message expressing his frustration and disappointment, not a destructive message… the case is closed for us,” Tielemans stated.
