Thibaut Courtois left out of Belgium’s Euro 2024 squad
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has not been included in Belgium’s Euro 2024 squad, announced on Tuesday, as he continues to recover from injuries that plagued his season.
Courtois, 32, suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament in his left knee last August, followed by a meniscus injury in March. Despite returning to action earlier this month and starting four of Real Madrid’s last five La Liga games, he was deemed not ready for the intensity of the European Championship.
“He was very honest with me,” said Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco. “He knows his body. It is one thing to play three or four matches, but another to play the Euros. He is not ready for the Euros, and we have to play with those who are able to.”
With Courtois out, Tedesco must choose a starting goalkeeper from Koen Casteels of Wolfsburg, Matz Sels of Nottingham Forest, and Thomas Kaminski of Luton Town.
In addition to the goalkeeping changes, Tedesco has included veteran Atletico Madrid defender/midfielder Axel Witsel, 35, in the squad for his experience and leadership. “We need him. He is experienced and can help the youngsters, whether he plays or not,” Tedesco noted. The squad also features 37-year-old Anderlecht center-back Jan Vertonghen and 19-year-old Atletico Madrid midfielder Arthur Vermeeren, highlighting a mix of seasoned and young talents.
Belgium, placed in Group E alongside Slovakia, Romania, and Ukraine, will play friendly matches against Montenegro on June 5 and Luxembourg on June 8 before heading to Germany for the tournament.
Belgium Euro 2024 Squad:
Goalkeepers:
- Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg/GER)
- Thomas Kaminski (Luton Town/ENG)
- Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest/ENG)
Defenders:
- Timothy Castagne (Fulham/ENG)
- Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge)
- Zeno Debast (Anderlecht)
- Wout Faes (Leicester City/ENG)
- Thomas Meunier (Trabzonspor/TUR)
- Arthur Theate (Rennes/FRA)
- Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht)
- Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid/ESP)
Midfielders:
- Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City/ENG)
- Orel Mangala (Lyon/FRA)
- Amadou Onana (Everton/ENG)
- Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa/ENG)
- Arthur Vermeeren (Atletico Madrid/ESP)
- Aster Vranckx (Wolfsburg/GER)
Forwards:
- Johan Bakayoko (PSV Eindhoven/NED)
- Yannick Carrasco (Al Shabab/KSA)
- Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta/ITA)
- Jeremy Doku (Manchester City/ENG)
- Romelu Lukaku (Roma/ITA)
- Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla/ESP)
- Lois Openda (RB Leipzig/GER)
- Leandro Trossard (Arsenal/ENG)
