Brussels: Belgium coach Roberto Martinez delivered a 24-man World Cup squad on Monday with his iconic but often injured captain Vincent Kompany on the roster, accompanied by a potential replacement.
The Manchester City central defender picked up an injury in a friendly with Portugal on Saturday and Fifa rules stipulate injured players can be replaced up to 24 hours before a nation’s first group phase game.
Belgium play a Group A game with Panama on June 18 in Sochi. If Kompany is unfit Martinez will drop him in favour of Laurent Ciman, who plays for Los Angeles in the MLS.
“We are doing everything to give Vincent his chance but one thing is clear, if he’s not fit in time he’s not going to the World Cup,” said Belgium’s Spanish coach Roberto Martinez.
Martinez proved his ruthless streak by earlier leaving Radja Nainggolan out of the 27-man provisional squad after a series of run-ins with the Roma midfielder, including missing training.
The three men trimmed from the Belgium squad were misfiring Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke, Watford’s Christian Kabasele and Jordan Lukaku of Lazio.
The surprise inclusion on the list is Adnan Januzaj, a midfielder formerly of Manchester United, who plays for Real Sociedad in Spain.
Elsewhere, Winger Nawaf Al Abed has been left out of Saudi Arabia’s squad for the World Cup finals as Juan Antonio Pizzi’s side finalise preparations for their first appearance at the tournament since 2006.
Al Abed, a key member of the squad during qualifying and who was instrumental in Al Hilal reaching the 2017 Asian Champions League final, has struggled with injury since the turn of the year and the 28-year-old failed to make it into Pizzi’s final 23-man selection.
Goalkeeper Assaf Qarny, defenders Saeed Al Mowalad and Mohammad Jahfali, and midfielder Mohammad Al Kuwaykibi were also cut from a 28-man preliminary squad named last month.
Argentinian Pizzi has included Fahad Al Muwallad, Yahya Al Shehri and Salem Al Dawsari after the trio spent four months on loan in Spain with Levante, Leganes and Villarreal before returning to their parent clubs.
Saudi Arabia’s squad are all currently contracted to clubs in the country’s domestic league, with 10 on the books of back-to-back Saudi Premier League champions Al Hilal. A further seven play for Jeddah’s Al Ahli, who won the title in 2016.
The Saudis, beaten 3-0 by Peru in Switzerland in a friendly on Sunday, face hosts Russia in the opening game of the World Cup on June 14, the first time an Asian nation has played in the competition’s curtain-raiser.
