RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Belgium winger Jérémy Doku returned to practice Wednesday, a day after reportedly leaving a training session early, as the team prepares for its World Cup opener against Egypt on Monday.
The 24-year-old Doku, who plays for Premier League club Manchester City, experienced some breathing issues on Tuesday during a closed practice, according to Belgian newspaper HLN. Before practice ended, Doku went inside the indoor training facility of Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders for precautionary reasons, the report said.
During the portion of Wednesday’s training session open to reporters, Doku was a full participant. Winger Alexis Saelemaekers said he believes the national team’s training staff can keep Doku in shape for the tournament.
“When Jérémy steps off the field, it is logical that there are immediate question marks,” Saelemaekers said in French. “But it is nothing serious.”
Doku has represented Belgium on the international level since 2020. In World Cup qualifying in 2025, Doku scored a goal in a 4-3 win over Wales. He put in two in a 7-0 victory over Liechtenstein, a result which clinched Belgium’s berth in this year’s World Cup.
In 42 appearances for the Belgian national team, Doku has scored seven goals.
Debast sidelined
Center back Zeno Debast was the only notable Belgium player absent from Wednesday’s training session, which was expected. The 22-year-old Debast injured his leg in May during a training session with Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon and is not expected to be available until later in the tournament.
Debast has appeared in 26 matches for Belgium and was on the 2022 World Cup roster in Qatar.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Andrew Destin, The Associated Press
