Jeremy Doku will not play in Belgium’s crucial World Cup match against Iran on Sunday due to a respiratory infection, the Royal Belgian Football Association confirmed. The Manchester City winger had been battling a cold but suffered a relapse, ruling him out of the must-win Group G clash in Seattle.
Belgium faces early exit threat
Following a disappointing 1-1 draw with Egypt last week, Belgium knows that anything other than a win against Iran could lead to an embarrassing early exit. All four teams in Group G—Belgium, Iran, Egypt, and New Zealand—are tied on one point, so victory in the second game would likely secure a place in the knockout stages.
Doku played 86 minutes of the Egypt draw and is widely regarded as one of Belgium’s key players, having recorded eight goals and 14 assists for City last season. His absence is solely due to illness, not the controversy surrounding his plan to leave the US mid-tournament to attend the birth of his first child in England.
Controversy over birth attendance sparks debate
French journalist France Pierron sparked an international debate after criticizing Doku for wanting to be present at the birth. In a fiery outburst, Pierron said she was ‘outraged’ and claimed ‘the father serves no purpose’ during childbirth. She has since apologized for her comments, which received fierce backlash.
However, Belgium’s sporting director Vincent Mannaert clarified: ‘It is better to let him rest now and then work towards the final group match against New Zealand.’ Manager Rudi Garcia added: ‘I don’t want to get players to play when they’re not 100 per cent medically. He managed to play against Egypt. Since then, there are ups and downs and the medical staff decided to give him time to recover.’
Lukaku returns to starting XI
While Doku is unavailable, star striker Romelu Lukaku returns to the starting lineup after completing his long recovery from injury. Lukaku made a productive 24-minute appearance off the bench against Egypt.
The match kicks off at 9pm UK time and is broadcast on ITV1.
