Romelu Lukaku Fully Recovered from Ankle Injury, Roberto Martinez Says

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has confirmed that Romelu Lukaku is fully fit again after missing Thursday's FIFA World Cup clash with England.

With the Red Devils already qualified for the knockout stages of the competition in Russia, Martinez made a number of changes to his side against the Three Lions. Before the match, it was noted Lukaku would not be involved because of an ankle problem, per BBC Sport.

But on Friday, Martinez said the team's star striker was ready to go again:

Belgium were able to edge past England without Lukaku, as Adnan Januzaj's stunning goal gave them a 1-0 win to seal top spot in Group G.

It means Lukaku will most likely be back in the side when Belgium take on Japan in the round of 16 on Monday. The Red Devils have won all three of their games in Russia so far.

In the first two matches, Lukaku was vital for Belgium, as he netted a brace in each game against Panama and then Tunisia.

Kristof Terreur of Het Laatste Nieuws noted the goals continued an excellent run of form for Lukaku in national team colours:

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News also picked up on the leadership skills Lukaku has been showing at the tournament:

The striker headed to the World Cup on the back of his debut season with Manchester United. The 25-year-old netted 16 times in the Premier League in 2017-18 following his £75 million switch from Everton.

Having shone against the likes of Panama and Tunisia, Martinez will now be desperate for Lukaku to come good in the big games for Belgium. If he is fully fit, you don't envy the job of the Japanese defenders on Monday.