Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is set to make his comeback for Belgium in the Nations League later this month after being named in the 26-man squad to face Ukraine for their two-legged playoff, announced on Friday.
The 32-year-old Courtois, who has accrued 102 caps for Belgium, has been absent from international duties for nearly two years following a dispute in June 2023 with former coach Domenico Tedesco regarding the team captaincy. This disagreement led to his absence during last year’s European Championship.
However, after Tedesco’s departure and the subsequent appointment of Rudi Garcia as head coach in January, the Real Madrid goalkeeper appears to have had a change of heart.
Friday’s squad announcement marked the first for Garcia, who will make his managerial debut when Belgium takes on Ukraine. The first leg is set for Thursday in Murcia, Spain, with the return leg scheduled for March 23 in Genk.
Courtois’ impending return has sparked controversy, particularly for Koen Casteels, who has filled the role of first-choice goalkeeper during Courtois’ absence. Casteels expressed his discontent by announcing his retirement from the national team last Sunday, voicing criticism over the decision to allow Courtois back into the fold.
He also indicated that there were other players unhappy with how Courtois handled his dispute with Tedesco.
When asked during a press conference if Courtois would need to apologise for his past behaviour, Garcia remarked: “We’re starting with a clean slate. I won’t see the players until Monday, but we’ll discuss it with the leaders about what transpired.”
“However, I’m not planning to dwell on the past. If we do that, we won’t make any headway.”
As for the captaincy—previously held by Eden Hazard and now taken over by Kevin De Bruyne after the 2022 World Cup—Garcia stated that he has not yet made a decision.
“I do have some thoughts on that. Kevin, Romelu (Lukaku), and Thibaut are definitely in the running. We will see next week who the leaders are,” Garcia added.
Belgium Squad
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Royal Antwerp), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest), Maarten Vandevoordt (RB Leipzig)
Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting Lisbon), De Cuyper (Club Brugge), Koni De Winter (Genoa), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Bryan Heynen (Racing Genk), Jorthy Mokio (Ajax Amsterdam), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge)
Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Malick Fofana (Olympique Lyonnais), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla), Lois Openda (RB Leipzig), Alexis Saelemaekers (AS Roma), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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