Belgium Striker Benteke Ruled Out of Bosnia Qualifier with Thigh Injury
Belgium’s hopes for their upcoming Euro 2016 qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina have taken a hit with the withdrawal of striker Christian Benteke due to a thigh injury.
The Liverpool forward, who suffered the injury during his club’s 3-0 defeat to West Ham last Saturday, has remained with the national team despite being ruled out of Thursday’s crucial match in Brussels. He is being monitored closely in hopes of returning in time for Belgium’s second qualifier against Cyprus on September 6.
Speaking at a press conference, Belgium manager Marc Wilmots explained the decision:
“I said it from the start — I only take players who are 100% fit, and that’s not the case with Christian Benteke. You don’t recover that quickly from a muscle injury.”
Wilmots added that while the Congolese-born striker has resumed light training, the timeline remains tight.
“He is already able to do some exercises, but the deadline between now and Sunday still seems very short — even too short.”
Benteke’s absence comes at a sensitive moment for the Red Devils, who are currently chasing qualification for next year’s European Championship in France. His presence up front has often proved decisive, and Wilmots will now need to reshuffle his attacking options.
Despite the setback, the Belgian camp remains optimistic that Benteke could still make a return for the weekend’s match in Nicosia, depending on how his recovery progresses over the next few days.
