Belgium will be without two of its key players - captain Youri Tielemans and star Kevin De Bruyne - for the upcoming Nations League clash with France. The pair will miss the match at the “Stade de France“ due to accumulated yellow cards.
De Bruyne was among the heroes for Belgium in a convincing 3-0 victory over Turkey in Liege on Friday. The 35-year-old midfielder scored two goals but was booked at the end of the match after a violent reaction to a foul on him.
“Kevin was simply disappointed. "I don't think he even realized what the consequences of that yellow card would be," said coach Mark van Bommel.
The victory over Turkey was Van Bommel's second success in his first three matches in charge of the Belgian national team. However, the coach was not completely satisfied with the performance of his players.
“When we had the ball, we played too carelessly. That way we gave the opponent the feeling that they could create chances. Before our second goal, we didn't even manage to make a series of 20 consecutive passes“, said the coach.
According to him, the match took on the character of “ping-pong”, with the game moving from one half of the field to the other for a long time. However, Van Bommel did not think Belgium was in danger of losing.
“It was a spectacular game, but that is not what a coach wants to see. We need to clean up these things. If we do that, our level will rise and the opponent will have fewer opportunities to stay in the game,“ he added.
In addition to De Bruyne, Belgium will also be without captain Youri Tielemans, who will also serve a suspension due to accumulated bookings.
Meanwhile, the experienced Romelu Lukaku continues to make history with the national team. The striker came on as a substitute against Turkey and scored his 94th goal for Belgium.
“It is great what they continue to do for the national team. They are not only doing it for themselves, but also for the other players. "When they are in shape, they pull their teammates with them," Van Bommel said of the veterans.