Romelu Lukaku has been named as part of Belgium’s 26-man squad for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar despite his ongoing injury troubles.
The Inter Milan striker, on loan from Chelsea, has played just five times this season and has completed the full 90 minutes just once - in an opening-day 2-1 victory over Lecce on August 13 - as he battled a hamstring problem and then injured his thigh when returning from that issue.
But Roberto Martinez has given the forward a chance to prove his fitness in Qatar - although the expectation is that he may only be fit for the knockout stages.
“The World Cup has two very different phases,” Martinez said. “One is the group phase, and that is the only phase we can prepare for — the three games that we have.
“But then there is another World Cup, which is the knockout rounds. And medically, we feel that Romelu Lukaku at this point could make that second World Cup.
“Romelu Lukaku is a very important player for the Red Devils. Now we are working from a medical point of view to try to bring him on the pitch and, from that point, to give him a big role.”
Lukaku joins a squad captained by Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard that features seven current Premier League players. Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is the star, and the heartbeat of this Belgian side, while Leicester trio Wout Faes, Timothy Castagne and Youri Tielemans, Aston Villa’s Leander Dendoncker, Everton midfielder Aamadou Onana and Brighton’s Leandro Trossard are also picked
This World Cup is seen as the last chance for Belgium’s ‘golden generation’, including the likes of Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Dries Mertens and Axel Witsel to win a major tournament after losing in the semi-finals four years ago.
They begin their campaign against Canada on 23 November, before facing Morocco and Croatia in Group F.
Confirmed squad
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Simon Mignolet (Club Brugge), Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg)
Defenders: Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht), Toby Alderweireld (Antwerp), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Arthur Theate (Rennes), Zeno Debast (Anderlecht), Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund), Timothy Castagne (Leicester City)
Midfielders: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Leander Dendoncker (Aston Villa), Youri Tielemans (Leicester City), Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Amadou Onana (Everton), Leandro Trossard (Brighton), Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid), Charles De Ketelaere (AC Milan), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge)
Forwards: Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), Dries Mertens (Galatasaray), Jeremy Doku (Rennes), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund), Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbahce), Lois Openda (Lens)
