Kevin De Bruyne Left Out of Belgium Squad Due to Injury
Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne will not be involved in Belgium's upcoming friendly games against Ireland (March 23) and England (March 26).
De Bruyne was omitted from the squad named by Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco on Thursday.
The 32-year-old - who has been capped 99 times at senior international level - suffered a hamstring injury in August and did not return for City until January.
He has been in fine form since then, delivering 11 assists and two goals in 12 appearances.
However, De Bruyne was substituted off in the 69th minute of Sunday's 1-1 draw with Liverpool and he has since been ruled out of this weekend's FA Cup quarter-final against Newcastle United due to a groin issue.
Kevin De Bruyne will not play for Manchester City against Newcastle on Sunday and he will also miss Belgium's upcoming friendly games vs. Ireland and England
IMAGO/Propaganda Photo/David Rawcliffe
Tedesco said on Thursday, as quoted by TNT Sports: "I don't know if there is a connection to his hamstring injury. It is now a problem on the groin that he struggled with in the last few matches.
"Yesterday, I spoke to the doctor and Kevin and we decided the risk is too great. It is our responsibility to take into account the player but also the player's club.
"It is better to give him time to recover well at City and then have him ready for the European Championship. We can't take a risk now and certainly not with Kevin."
Belgium are rated as one of the teams with a realistic chance of winning Euro 2024.
The draw for the group stage was seemingly kind to the Red Devils.
Tedesco's side will face Slovakia in their opening game of the tournament on June 17 before facing Romania five days later.
Belgium's final group game will be against the winner of a four-team qualifying tournament consisting of Israel, Iceland, Ukraine and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
