Tedesco confident “new generation” can perform as Lukaku, De Bryune absent

Belgium head coach Domenico Tedesco is placing his trust in his side’s younger players ahead of their UEFA Nations League match against Italy on Thursday, Soccernet.football reports.

The Red Devils are without key players Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne for October’s Nations League fixtures. However, Tedesco is confident that Belgium’s emerging talents can step up for the clash against Italy.

Belgium travel to the Stadio Olimpico for their Group A2 encounter, aiming to bounce-back from a 2-0 defeat to France last month. But they will have to get by without two of their most important players.

Lukaku has been in fine form this season at Napoli, contributing three goals and four assists in five Serie A matches. Despite being Belgium’s all-time top scorer with 85 goals in 119 appearances, he has not been recalled after being dropped last month.

De Bruyne, on the other hand, has requested to sit out the remainder of Belgium’s Nations League matches in 2024 to manage his workload, having played in both of their September fixtures, a 3-1 win over Israel and a defeat to France in Lyon.

The Belgium skipper was left frustrated by the Red Devils’ capitulation in their defeat to France last time out, leading him to question the mentality and fighting spirit of Tedesco’s squad.

Nevertheless, Tedesco remains optimistic that Belgium’s “new generation” can deliver strong performances in the upcoming games.

“We have some absent players … But we have many promising youngsters, a new generation, full of talent; we are happy,” Tedesco said.

After facing the Azzuri on Thursday, Tedesco’s charges will then host Didier Deschamps’ Les Blues at Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels on October 14. The Red Devils will be looking to collect their pound of flesh and they will have home support for company.