(Doha) Romelu Lukaku, injured in the left thigh before the World Cup-2022, participated in his first public training with Belgium on Friday, after a closed session the day before, although his debut in the tournament remains to be determined.
The 29-year-old striker had found the Devils on Thursday for a scrub the day after the sluggish Belgian victory against Canada (1-0), but it was still necessary to “see how” he would “react”, warned coach Roberto Martinez .
By more than 30 degrees on Friday in the Belgian base camp at Salwa Beach, a hundred kilometers south-west of Doha, he trotted then chained the exercises with the ball with the rest of the workforce, noted AFP .
His presence remains very uncertain for the Belgium-Morocco match on Sunday (2 p.m.), the Belgian team having always warned that he would most likely be fit for the last Group F match against Croatia next Thursday.
“If he is ready, he will be in the squad, starting or on the bench. The decision will be made the day before the match. There are two aspects to consider. It’s a purely medical decision, first of all. If he is medically fit, it is easy to treat his injury. Afterwards, it depends on how he feels, ”explained Roberto Martinez on Thursday.
Against Canada, the keys to the attack went to his usual understudy, Michy Batshuayi, who scored the only goal of the game with his left foot, before giving way to the young Lensois Loïs Openda in the 78th.e minute.
Even if the top scorer in the history of Belgium only had to play a few minutes to start his World Cup, having “someone so prolific” would “obviously” be a help, observed midfielder and vice-captain Kevin on Friday. DeBruyne.
“People are going to be scared of him, and that gives us options,” he added.