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Is Kevin De Bruyne injured? Know reason why Belgium star is not playing against USMNT
The Belgian captain has been named among the substitutes against the USMNT, with Jeremy Doku also starting on the bench.
The high intensity FIFA World Cup match between the USA and Belgium kicked off at the Seattle stadium on Monday evening. However, what has raised concerns among fans is that Kevin De Bruyne was not included in the starting XI for the Round of 16 match.
The Belgian captain has been named among the substitutes against the USMNT, with Jeremy Doku and Romelu Lukaku also starting on the bench.
According to DH Les Sports, Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia revealed before the game that the Napoli midfielder was one of three players who were not fully fit heading into the encounter.
Speaking to reporters, Garcia had said about De Bruyne and Doku: “We could field the same XI as against Senegal. But we have 3 players who are uncertain with Leandro Trossard, Brandon Mechele and Kevin De Bruyne. We'll see if they're ready."”
Even so, De Bruyne’s inclusion on the bench suggests the issue is not believed to be serious, and he could still be introduced later in the match to provide the kind of instant creativity and attacking spark Belgium may need vs USMNT.
The USMNT, meanwhile, fielded an unchanged XI from their Round of 32 encounter with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The major controversy in Mauricio Pochettino's side remained the inclusion of Folarin Balogun, who made a return to field in Seattle despite a red card.
Rudi Garcia's decision pays early dividends
The players Rudi Garcia selected instead of KDB, Doku and Romelu Lukaku seemed to pay dividends immediately. Dodi Lukebakio, the winger who started in place of Doku, combined with midfielder Nikolas Raskin who started in place of Kevin De Bruyne, and striker Charles De Ketelaere to score the first goal for Belgium in the ninth minute.
Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard also had a key role to play in the build-up to the goal.
Additionally, a part of the reason why Rudi Garcia made four changes to his starting XI had to do with how the team's performed in the Round of 32 game against Senegal. The obvious improvement of his late subs - which included taking off KDB - helped the team clinch a crucial win and progress to the USMNT game.
