Kevin De Bruyne commented on the condition of Inter star Romelu Lukaku and his importance to the Belgium squad ahead of their second World Cup game against Morocco.
The 29-year-old Nerazzurri striker has been sidelined since the end of August with a troubling hamstring injury, which has forced him to miss 16 games across all competitions this campaign. Recent reports suggested that Lukaku would not be fit until Belgium’s final group game against Croatia, although there are fears that he could miss the entire tournament.
Speaking to Belgian journalists, De Bruyne discussed Lukaku’s condition and how much he adds to the Red Devils squad.
“I don’t know how he is, he has been training with us and also apart these days. I must admit that he is a player who helps the team a lot, you can feel his presence on the pitch.
“I don’t even know if he will be there against Morocco, but if he were to start from the bench he would be an extra weapon in the game.”
The 29-year-old Lukaku is Belgium’s all-time top scorer, having netted 68 goals across 102 caps since his debut in March 2010. He has netted five goals in 10 World Cup games and will be desperate to take to the pitch in Qatar as Belgium look to improve upon their semi-final finish in 2018.