Belgium's debut at the European Championship, with a resounding 3-0 win over Russia in Saint Petersburg, was encouraging. But at the same time, it left the Red Devils coaching staff concerned about the injured players. They have permanently lost Timothy Castagne, who has returned to Brussels with the rest of his teammates to undergo surgery for the broken cheekbone he suffered after a chilling crash.
The other who ended up being touched is Vertonghen, although in his case the news is better: his change in the second half was a precaution after a heavy blow to the ankle. It is pending evolution, but it is expected that it may be available to play against Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday (6pm CET).
These two players must be joined by Witsel and De Bruyne, two of the key players in the national team who were unable to participate in the first game. The first tore his Achilles tendon in January and will miss at least the first two games. The second can be already available for Thursday, although they will opt for prudence after the good result of the debut. The main thing is that it reaches 100% at the crossings, because right now the option of Belgium not going through the phase is very remote.
On the positive side is everyone's collective performance. Roberto Martínez highlighted the performance of Meunier, who replaced Castagne. Also, Hazard, the captain, was not there from the start. Despite all these setbacks, the Belgians started the tournament with great authority.