World Cup 2022 team guides part 21: Belgium | Belgium

This article is part of the Guardian’s World Cup 2022 Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 32 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 20 November.

The plan

The plan isn’t much of a plan any more, more a case of “it is what it is”. Roberto Martínez is simply sticking to the same tactical shape he introduced six years ago: the 3-4-3. The personnel has changed, though. Vincent Kompany has gone. Thomas Vermaelen too, with the former Arsenal defender now one of the assistant managers. Instead, when Belgium played Wales and the Netherlands in the Nations League in September, the back three featured three players from the Belgian Jupiler Pro League.

Toby Alderweireld (Antwerp) and Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht) have recently come back home after playing in Qatar and Benfica respectively, while the promising Anderlecht teenager Zeno Debast made his debut in September. The problem is that Alderweireld and Vertonghen are not at the same level as they were at Tottenham a few years back.

Belgium lost twice against the Netherlands in four months and the old, shaky defence is the main worry. The world-class goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois can’t stop all the attacks on his own. The other options at the back aren’t too encouraging either. Jason Denayer has not helped himself by rejecting several offers after leaving Lyon in the summer. He trained on his own for several months before signing for Shabab Al Ahli in Dubai in October.

Up front, Romelu Lukaku had a bad season at Chelsea then injured himself upon returning to Internazionale. He only got back to full fitness in October but has reportedly aggravated it again. Eden Hazard is finally injury-free at Real Madrid after three years of misery, but is not getting many minutes.

“Eden is still of great value for Belgium,” Martínez said of his captain. “The question is whether he can play 90 minutes and whether he can handle seven matches in a short period of time. No one is looking away from that reality. Eden hasn’t played at a constant level for a long time and that has consequences. But he showed his worth during the last international break.”

Hazard still gets the nod with Leandro Trossard used as a super sub. Otherwise Belgium rely heavily on Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne, their last remaining world-class players.