After not receiving the captain's armband for Belgium's latest 2024 UEFA European Championship qualifier, star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois reportedly failed to show up for training.
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With Kevin De Bruyne absent from the Red Devils' latest squad due to a hamstring injury, head coach Domenico Tedesco had the difficult decision as to who to make captain while the midfielder continued his recovery.
The Italian tactician ultimately decided that for their next two matches, against Austria and Estonia, Belgium would have different skippers.
It is believed that it was decided that Romelu Lukaku would lead the team out for their first match while Courtois would take the armband for the following game, but that decision reportedly left the Real Madrid star fuming as he wanted to be captain for both fixtures.
According to Het Nieuwsblad, the 1-1 draw with the Austrians on Saturday infuriated the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League final Man of the Match further, and while his teammates have become accustomed to the 31-year-old's fiery nature after matches, it is said the real surprise came when he did not arrive for training on Sunday, something that raised eyebrows among the Belgian squad.
The same report suggests that the Bree native could be carrying an injury, which means back-up keeper Matz Sels could deputise for the ex-Chelsea man against the Estonians on Tuesday night.
It seems that controversy refuses to leave Belgium alone after the European giants were eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup during the group stage.
That tournament exit was followed by rumours of serious discontent in the squad, with previous manager Roberto Martinez ultimately leaving his post as the nation's head coach.
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Now Tedesco must steer Belgium clear of any off-pitch trouble if he is to be successful with the remaining contingent of what has previously been dubbed their "Golden Generation".
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