Belgium will face France in Brussels without two players who were already missing in Rome, leaving Mark Van Bommel to work with an unchanged squad on the eve of Monday night’s Nations League meeting.
Belgium confirm Penders and Trossard absences
Van Bommel said Mike Penders and Leandro Trossard will not be available for the match against France at the King Baudouin Stadium, scheduled for 20:45 on Monday.
Both players also missed Belgium’s 2-0 defeat to Italy in Rome on Friday. Speaking after Sunday’s preparations in Tubize, the new Belgium coach said their immediate outlook remained unclear.
- Penders is sidelined by a quadriceps injury.
- Trossard is dealing with bone oedema in his heel.
- Both players took part in Sunday’s training activity at Tubize despite being ruled out of the France fixture.
- Van Bommel said the rest of his group is the same as the squad available against Italy.
Two young players facing different injury concerns
Penders, 21, is a former Strasbourg goalkeeper who is now at Chelsea. His quadriceps problem will keep him out of Belgium’s second Nations League match of the international window.
Trossard, also 21, joined Besiktas from Arsenal during the summer. His heel issue has similarly prevented him from being considered for the Italy game or the visit of France.
Van Bommel did not put a timetable on either player’s return, saying only that Belgium must monitor how their respective conditions develop. The Dutchman will therefore turn to the same available personnel as he did in Rome when France arrive in Brussels.
