There is still no clarity with regard to Jan Vertonghen. The Benfica defender has a fracture to the cheekbone, but will remain with the selection for the time being. “The medical staff is working on it, but they have nevertheless seen positive signs. We are waiting to see if he will make it to England”, Roberto Martinez confessed Thursday evening at the King Baudouin Stadium.
There is no trace of Thibaut Courtois anymore with the national eleven. The Real goalkeeper went to Belgium on Wednesday, worked individually in the fitness, but turned out not to be ready to play. “Courtois has an edema (fluid retention, ed.) In his right leg, not too serious. An injury that will leave you on the side for five to seven days, but the international matches come too early.”
Martinez will more than likely let Mignolet play three games in seven days. It is not yet entirely clear which goalkeepers will travel with them on Saturday. “Only just before the departure do we decide who will go to England and Iceland.”
The boys who took action on Thursday will not have more than a walk-out training to finish today. The group is therefore divided into a selection for the exhibition match, and the fixed values for the Nations League duels. Sebastiaan Bornauw, Alexis Saelemaekers and Zinho Vanheusden return to the promises.
Ten players only joined the Devils on Wednesday. Thomas Meunier, Axel Witsel, Jason Denayer, Youri Tielemans, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Toby Alderweireld, among others, received some extra rest from the national coach after busy weeks in a club and only joined Tubize on Wednesday.
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The brothers Eden and Thorgan Hazard are not there due to injuries, Thomas Vermaelen is not allowed to travel to Belgium by the Japanese government. Nacer Chadli was not fit enough and was allowed to return to Basaksehir, for which he played less than a minute.
In the front there are still a lot of question marks behind the name of Dries Mertens, who is in quarantine with his team Napoli. After all, the risk of corona infection is high, after the Serie A game against Genoa, on September 27.
More than twenty infections have now been diagnosed with that team. In principle, the international match against Iceland will not be a problem, but the national coach hopes to get his winger into the selection faster.
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