Lukaku won't dress vs. Canada, Belgium confirms

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez confirmed Tuesday that striker Romelu Lukaku will not dress against Canada in their World Cup opener on Wednesday.

AFP reported earlier this week that the Inter star would miss the Red Devils' first two Group F matches in Qatar, against Canada and Morocco, still nursing a hamstring injury.

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Watch Canada's game vs. Belgium on Wednesday at 2pm et/11am pt on TSN.

The 29-year-old Lukaku's 68 goals are the most in Red Devils' history.

The Antwerp native returned to the Nerazzurri on loan for a second straight season, having failed to reintegrate into the Chelsea setup after a club-record £97.5 million transfer from Inter in the summer of 2021.

Lukaku has only made five appearances in all competitions for Inter this season and only two since August.

With Lukaku out, Martinez can choose from a forward corps that includes veteran Galatasaray striker Dries Mertens, Fenerbahce's Michy Batshuayi and youngsters Jeremy Doku and Lois Openda.

The manager confirmed that all other players in Belgium's camp are fit to play against Canda.

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