Belgium coach Rudi Garcia defended his decision to include veteran striker Romelu Lukaku in Belgium’s 26-man squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, insisting the national team “cannot do without him.”
The 33-year-old forward has endured a difficult season with SSC Napoli, making only limited appearances totaling around one hour due to injuries and struggles to secure a place in the starting lineup. Lukaku has also been dealing with a hamstring injury for several months.
Despite concerns over his fitness, Garcia stressed that Lukaku remains vital to Belgium because of his experience, leadership qualities, and goal-scoring record. He described him as the team’s all-time leading scorer and an irreplaceable figure in the squad.
Garcia said Lukaku is currently working toward full recovery and will remain under the supervision of Belgium’s medical staff ahead of the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The coach admitted Lukaku is still lacking match fitness and acknowledged it will be a major challenge to prepare him physically before the tournament begins. However, Garcia expressed hope that five weeks of preparation, including two friendly matches, will help the striker regain form.
Belgium will open their World Cup campaign on June 15 against Egypt in Seattle before facing Iran and New Zealand in Group G. Garcia said the team will closely monitor Lukaku’s response to group training sessions in the coming weeks.
Lukaku has scored 89 goals in 124 appearances for Belgium, making him the country’s all-time top scorer. His most recent international appearance came in a dramatic 4-3 World Cup qualifying victory over Wales last June.
