Belgium will be without defender Zeno Debast for their World Cup round-of-32 clash against Senegal on Wednesday night. The Sporting Lisbon centre-back had returned to training earlier this week but has not been included in the matchday squad as he continues his recovery from a leg injury sustained in early May.
Debast's injury and recovery
Debast was initially expected to miss the entire group stage after suffering the injury during a club match for Sporting in Portugal. He was still included in Belgium's 26-man squad, and a follow-up MRI scan showed “positive” results, allowing him to return to training on Sunday. However, he is not yet fit enough to feature in the knockout tie.
His absence is a blow for head coach Rudi Garcia, but his return to training is a positive sign for Belgium's potential deep run in the tournament. Brandon Mechele and Nathan Ngoy started as the first-choice centre-back pairing in Debast's absence, though Ngoy was sent off in the goalless draw with Iran, leading to Arthur Theate being drafted in for the 5-1 thrashing of New Zealand.
Unchanged XI for Belgium
Garcia has named an unchanged starting lineup from the New Zealand victory, with Thibaut Courtois continuing in goal. The defence features Timothy Castagne at right-back, replacing Thomas Meunier, and Maxim De Cuyper on the left. The centre-back pairing remains Mechele and Theate.
In midfield, captain Youri Tielemans is partnered by Hans Vanaken, who replaced Nicolas Raskin in the previous match. The attacking quartet consists of Jeremy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard, and Charles De Ketelaere. Romelu Lukaku, Belgium's all-time leading goalscorer, is again on the bench after a club season at Napoli hampered by injuries.
Belgium's lineup and Senegal's path
Belgium XI: Courtois; Castagne, Mechele, Theate, De Cuyper; Tielemans, Vanaken; Doku, De Bruyne, Trossard; De Ketelaere.
Belgium topped Group G, while Senegal advanced from Group I as the eighth-best third-place team. The match kicks off at 9pm BST on Wednesday July 1, 2026, at Seattle Stadium, and will be broadcast live on ITV.
