BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Belgium’s new coach Domenico Tedesco continued to put his mark on the squad with four new players called up for this month’s European Championship qualifiers against Austria and Estonia.
Goalkeeper Arnaud Bodart, defender Ameen Al-Dakhil and midfielders Olivier Deman and Mike Tresor, named Belgium’s Footballer of the Year on Monday, were in the 24-man squad named on Tuesday with Michy Batshuayi and Hans Vanaken returning.
Tedesco replaced Roberto Martinez after last year’s World Cup where Belgium failed to reach the knockout stage and won his first two games in charge away to Sweden and Germany in March.
He has dropped Charles De Ketelaere and Romeo Lavia and must do without the injured Amadou Onana and Leandro Trossard.
Belgium host Austria on June 17 in Brussels and visit Estonia three days later. They won their Group F opener and sit second behind Austria, who have six points from two games.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Arnaud Bodart (Standard Liege), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Thomas Kaminski (Blackburn Rovers), Matz Sels (Racing Strasbourg)
Defenders: Ameen Al-Dakhil (Burnley), Sebastiaan Bornauw (VfL Wolfsburg), Timothy Castagne (Leicester City), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Arthur Theate (Stade Rennes), Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht)
Midfielders: Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Olivier Deman (Cercle Brugge), Leander Dendoncker (Aston Villa), Orel Mangala (Nottingham Forest), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Youri Tielemans (Leicester City), Mike Tresor (Racing Genk), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge)
Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Fenerbahce), Jeremy Doku (Stade Rennes), Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan), Dodi Lukebakio (Hertha Berlin), Lois Openda (Racing Lens)
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken Ferris)
