Romelu Lukaku Set to Boost Belgium Against England at Wembley as Team Seeks Improvement

Belgium’s all-time leading goal scorer, Romelu Lukaku, is poised to make a return to action against England in a friendly clash at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday. Lukaku’s presence adds significant firepower to Belgium’s attack, which struggled to find inspiration in a lackluster 0-0 draw against Ireland in their previous outing.

Having missed the match against Ireland due to a groin injury, Lukaku has fully recovered and participated in training sessions, as confirmed by manager Domenico Tedesco. Tedesco also revealed that goalkeeper Koen Casteels will remain sidelined due to a shoulder injury.

With Lukaku’s return, Belgium aims to reignite their attacking prowess, especially in the absence of the creative influence of the injured Kevin De Bruyne. Tedesco emphasized the importance of creating more scoring opportunities and adopting a bold and positive approach against England.

“We want to create more opportunities than against Ireland. We need to be brave, with open and positive football,” Tedesco asserted. He sees the match against England as an ideal test for his team at the highest level, despite acknowledging England’s potential absences.

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Tedesco has enjoyed an undefeated run of 11 games since taking over the managerial reins from Roberto Martinez following Belgium’s disappointing early exit in the World Cup in Qatar. The draw against Ireland marked the first instance in Tedesco’s tenure where Belgium failed to score, highlighting the significance of Lukaku’s return.

Belgium winger Jeremy Doku, who plies his trade for Manchester City, anticipates a challenging yet rewarding encounter against England. Reflecting on the lackluster performance against Ireland, Doku believes that facing a top-caliber opponent like England will provide a true measure of Belgium’s current standing and readiness for the upcoming Euro 2024 finals.

“I think it’s going to be a nice match. That was not the case in Ireland, we are not going to deny that. I’m sure it will be completely different against England,” Doku expressed. He sees the match as an opportunity to gauge Belgium’s progress and continue their preparation for the European Championship.

Despite Belgium’s recent success against England, having won three of their last four encounters, they have struggled to secure victory in their previous five visits to London. As they gear up to face England at Wembley, Belgium aims to overcome historical challenges and deliver a strong performance buoyed by the return of Lukaku.