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Vincent Kompany Included in Belgium World Cup Squad, Christian Benteke Left out
June 4, 2018
Vincent Kompany has been included in the Belgium squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup despite concerns over his fitness, while Christian Benteke has not made the final cut.
The Belgium Twitter account provided the 23-man group for the tournament in Russia on Monday:
Michy Batshuayi, Toby Alderweireld and Simon Mignolet reacted to being included in the squad:
There were fears Kompany would not be available for the competition after he suffered an injury in the 0-0 draw against Portugal on Saturday. However, the Manchester City man has been deemed fit enough to be included in Roberto Martinez's travelling party.
Speaking after the announcement of the squad, Martinez said the hardest decision he had to make was whether or not to include Benteke after his disappointing campaign at Crystal Palace this season:
Benteke, who missed the 2014 tournament due to injury, was a long way short of his best in 2017-18 for the Eagles, as he netted a meagre three goals in 31 Premier League games.
While Benteke can provide a threat with his physical play and aerial power, Belgium are blessed with variety and quality in the final third.
Manchester United man Romelu Lukaku is expected to lead the line, while Chelsea's Batshuayi will offer stiff competition for a starting spot after recovering from an ankle problem.
It's the supporting cast to the centre-forward where Belgium have tremendous depth, though, as they have a set of attacking midfielders capable of rivalling any side in world football.
Typically Dries Mertens and Eden Hazard flank Lukaku in Martinez's setup and behind them Kevin De Bruyne is poised to pull the strings. The latter enjoyed a sensational season for Manchester City and was a arguably the key man in their record-breaking Premier League campaign.
As noted by Sky Sports Statto, De Bruyne was the most creative player in the English top fight last season:
In midfield Martinez opted not to include Roma star Radja Nainggolan in his initial 30-man group, although there are plenty of powerful options in the form of Mousa Dembele, Axel Witsel and Marouane Fellaini.
In defence the Red Devils also appear to be well stocked. Kompany, fitness permitting, is still a colossus, while Tottenham Hotspur duo Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are among the best defenders in the Premier League.
The talent is there for Belgium to make a deep run in this competition, and they will be expected to get out of a group containing England, Tunisia and Panama. It's up to Martinez to find a formula that can bring the best out of the squad at his disposal.