Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has hinted that reported Tottenham target Romelu Lukaku could be dropped from the Red Devils’ squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup if he is not fit enough to compete in the group stages.
Speaking to Sporza, the former Everton coach sent out a defiant message to the on-loan Inter Milan striker that he could not travel to Qatar if his fitness is not up to scratch, with Martinez saying: “Right now, Lukaku is not ready to play. If he doesn’t get fit to compete in one of the three group matches, I won’t select him.”
Lukaku rejoined Inter this summer on loan from Chelsea just one year after signing for the west London side for a club-record £98m. Yet the attacker’s time back in Italy has been nothing short of disastrous, with the striker making just five appearances due to injury, scoring two goals.
As a result, there’s now a real chance that Lukaku could be dropped by Martinez for Belgium’s World Cup squad, which is due to be announced this week. And the Red Devils’ all-time leading goalscorer being left at home would be a massive blow for their chances of success in Qatar.
A player Antonio Conte is eager to bring to Tottenham according to Corriere dello Sport, Lukaku’s fall from one of the best strikers in the game has been a hard watch for everyone, and the attacker missing out on the World Cup would be the final nail in the 29-year-old’s coffin.
With 68 goals, this World Cup would have been the last chance for Belgium’s so-called ‘Golden Generation’ to potentially win silverware on the international stage. However, even with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois at the peak of their powers, no Lukaku in Qatar could ruin any hope of a miracle in the Middle East.
Belgium losing Lukaku for the World Cup will be devastating
The 2022 World Cup has already robbed many nations of some of their best players given the time the competition is taking place and the condensed league schedule the scandalous tournament has brought onto clubs around the globe, and as a result, Belgium could now be without their greatest ever goalscorer in Lukaku.
With many of Belgium’s best players this century set to make their last bow this November in Qatar, having Lukaku out due to injury will be a wicked blow for the Red Devils, who this year had an outside shot of doing something historic in Qatar.
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