Amadou Onana has been ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup and will miss much of the upcoming club season after suffering a knee injury during Belgium's last-16 victory over the USA. The 24-year-old Aston Villa midfielder twisted awkwardly without contact in the first half, and was later seen on crutches wearing a knee brace as his team-mates sealed a 4-1 win in Seattle.
Multiple reports have confirmed that Onana, who was making his second World Cup start, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament. Such injuries typically require at least six months of recovery, meaning he will also face a significant spell on the sidelines for Aston Villa.
In a match overshadowed by Fifa's controversial decision to suspend US forward Folarin Balogun, Charles De Ketelaere gave Belgium the lead in the ninth minute with a tap-in. Malik Tillman equalised for the hosts with a deflected free-kick, but De Ketelaere restored Belgium's lead a minute later with a back-post header.
The USA pressed after the break until a goalkeeping error from Matt Freese allowed Hans Vanaken to score in the 57th minute. Romelu Lukaku added a fourth in added time to seal progression to the quarter-finals, where Belgium will face Spain in Los Angeles on Friday.
