Belgium were dealt a major blow ahead of their FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Spain as captain Youri Tielemans was ruled out with an injury. The Aston Villa midfielder suffered the setback during the pre-match warm-up. His withdrawal came just minutes before kickoff.
Tielemans had been named in Belgium's starting XI alongside Nicolas Raskin in midfield. However, the injury forced an eleventh-hour change to the lineup. Hans Vanaken was drafted in as his replacement.
The 28-year-old has been a key figure for Belgium throughout the tournament. His absence leaves a significant void in midfield for the Red Devils. Belgium are yet to provide an update on the nature or severity of the injury. They are already without the services of Amadou Onana, who was ruled out of the tournament with an ACL injury.
Tielemens crucially scored the penalty that helped them defeat Senegal in the Round of 32 clash. He starred in the 4-1 win over the USA in the Round of 16 and was expected to play a massive part in the game against Spain. Instead, he has been ruled out of action.
