This archive report was first published on 9 October 2021.
Published on October 9, 2021, Belgium's star players Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard will miss the team's clash with Italy in the UEFA Nations League final four tournament due to muscle overloads.
Coach Roberto Martinez announced that the duo, who are ranked first and second in Belgium's all-time goalscoring list, will not be participating in the match against Italy in Turin.
"Romelu Lukaku is suffering from muscle overload, the same as Eden Hazard," Martinez said in a news conference.
"They're not in best conditions to play. They're leaving the national team camp due to these problems - I don't know how long it will take for them to recover," Martinez added.
Lukaku will be returning to Belgium rather than his club Chelsea for now, and Martinez insisted there is no problem with the striker heading home first.
"Obviously there is an excellent understanding between the two sets of medical staff and we want to do the best for the player," Martinez said.
Belgium remain the ranked number one nation by FIFA, and Martinez emphasized the team's goal to preserve this position.
"We have been first for three years and we want to preserve this first place, it has always been our goal," Martinez said.
"Tomorrow evening against Italy, against the European champions, we want to test ourselves and learn," Martinez added.
