Wilmots´ woes worsen as Belgium lose Lombaerts, Boyata

Belgium have lost centre-backs Nicolas Lombaerts and Dedryck Boyata from their Euro 2016 campaign, the pair joining captain Vincent Kompany on the sidelines in a mounting defensive injury crisis.

A hamstring issue has sidelined Zenit St Petersburg defender Lombaerts, while Celtic s Boyata will not recover in time from the unspecified problem he picked up in training on Monday. 

Belgium were already without a first-choice defender in the form of national team skipper Vincent Kompany, the Manchester City captain having suffered a groin injury in the Champions League semi-final second leg away to Real Madrid earlier this month.

Head coach Marc Wilmots has called up Genk s Christian Kabasele, uncapped at senior international level, as a replacement. 

Lombaerts ne sera pas dans la sélection officielle pour l EURO. Christian Kabasele rejoint la sélection ce soir.

— Marc Wilmots (@WilmotsMarc)

First selection for Christian Kabasele ()! Welcome Christian!

— BelgianRedDevils (@BelRedDevils)

I m not here to complain, I m here to find solutions, the coach said, having also lost Club Brugge centre-back Bjorn Engels to injury. 

Engels club colleague, right-back Thomas Meunier, is only expected to return to fitness shortly before the start of the tournament, while Thomas Vermaelen has barely featured for Barcelona in 2015-16.

There are also concerns for the Red Devils in midfield, with Tottenham s Mousa Dembele out for a week due to a minor muscle tear.

Radja Nainggolan is nearing a return to action from the calf problem he suffered in Roma s end-of-season friendly against Al Ahly on May 20.

I really have to be careful with Radja, we cannot take any risks, but I want to see him play Sunday against Norway, Wilmots said.

Yannick Carrasco, who joined the training camp on Monday after Atletico Madrid s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday, is not likely to feature in Belgium s friendly against Finland on Wednesday.

Belgium begin their Group E campaign at the European Championship with a match against Italy in Lyon on June 13.

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