8th June, 2014
Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku will need to rest for several days after injuring his ankle in Saturday’s World Cup warm-up against Tunisia, his coach Marc Wilmots said.
The Chelsea forward, who spent last season on loan at Everton, came on in the 61st minute of the 1-0 victory in Brussels but limped off just before full-time.
“He’s in pain but the doctors don’t think it’s too serious, at least at first glance,” Wilmots was quoted as saying in Belgian press on Sunday.
“He will be checked over more closely on Sunday but it’s probably a bad sprain. Hopefully he just needs three or four days to recover.”
The news was worrying for Belgium who have already lost Christian Benteke due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.
It means their only remaining out-and-out striker is teenager Divock Origi, who started on Saturday before being replaced by Lukaku.
Wilmots lashed out at the Tunisian players for what he perceived as roughhouse tactics in what was a friendly.
“I had hoped there wouldn’t be any injuries but in the changing rooms all I saw were bruises and ice-packs,” complained Wilmots.
Belgium trained for the last time in Brussels at the King Baudoin stadium Sunday morning before heading to Brazil, after which players posed for photos with King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and the royal couple’s four children.
As well as Lukaku, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and full-back Jan Vertonghen sat out the training session as a precaution.
Expectation and excitement is at fever pitch in Belgium as the country has not competed at a World Cup since 2002.
King Philippe is due to travel to Brazil to watch the team, unless negotiations over the formation of a new government get in the way.