French coach Rudi Garcia, coach of the Belgian national team, announced on Friday a list of 28 players to participate in a training camp and friendly matches in the United States in preparation for the World Cup finals.
The list saw three players called up for the first time under the age of 21, namely Nathan De Cat, the 17-year-old Anderlecht midfielder, Mika Godts, the Dutch winger of Ajax Amsterdam, and Lukas Stassen, the French Saint-Etienne striker, to face the United States and Mexico.
Garcia explained on Friday that he chose an expanded group due to the return of many players from injuries, and because the trip to North America represented an opportunity to try out new and young faces before the World Cup.
Garcia commented on the call-up of the rising talent De Cat, saying that “talent does not wait for age,” citing his previous experiences with Eden Hazard in Lille and Rayyan Cherki in Lyon, and pointing out that De Cat possesses physical characteristics that the Belgian national team lacks.
While the Belgian national team regained its main pillars with the return of Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku after recovering from injury, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is absent after suffering a muscle tear in his right leg during his participation in the Champions League, and Garcia expected Courtois to be absent for a period of up to six weeks.
The Belgium national team is scheduled to play a friendly match against America on March 28 in Atlanta, and three days later it will meet Mexico in Chicago, before the start of the World Cup in June.
The list was as follows: Goalkeepers: Sean Lemmens (Manchester United), Mats Sels (Nottingham Forest), Martin Vandevoordt (Leipzig).
In the defense line: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zino Debast (Sporting Lisbon), Maxime De Cuyper (Brighton), Connie de Winter (Milan), Brandon Michel (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Nathan Ngoy (Lille), Joaquin Ceys (Club Brugge), and Arthur Thiate (Eintracht Frankfurt).
In the midfield: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Nathan De Cat (Anderlecht), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), and Axel Witsel (Girona).
In the attacking line: Charles De Kittilari (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Mika Godets (Ajax Amsterdam), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica), Luis Obinda (Juventus), Alexis Sailemaekers (Milan), Lukas Stassen (Saint-Etienne), and Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).
