Senne remains our goalkeeper for the upcoming Nations League fixtures despite his club struggles, national team coach Mark van Bommel said.
Belgium returns to competitive action on Thursday as van Bommel prepares his squad to face Turkey in Izmir. Nieuwsblad reported that the manager addressed mounting external questions regarding his starting lineup during a press conference ahead of the match.
Both Lammens and teammate Youri Tielemans have endured a difficult stretch at Manchester United, where the club sits in a relegation position of the Premier League table, according to HLNPOLL. Van Bommel dismissed concerns about his goalkeeper’s composure under pressure.
“Senne is heel stoïcijns in zijn doen en laten,” van Bommel told the press conference, as reported by HLNPOLL. “Ik heb hem bij Antwerp meegemaakt en daar was hij eigenlijk hetzelfde. Of het nu goed gaat of minder goed, je merkt weinig verschil. Hij behoudt mijn vertrouwen.”
Van Bommel faces a three-fold tactical dilemma across his squad selection for the November international window, according to VoetbalNieuws. Beyond the goalkeeping position, where Lammens competes with Mike Penders of Chelsea FC and RB Leipzig regular Maarten Vandevoordt must manage absentees.
Thibaut Courtois is absent from the current selection after choosing to skip the Nations League campaign, though van Bommel maintains regular contact with the Real Madrid goalkeeper, Voetbalkrant.com reported. AZ goalkeeper Jari De Busser also retains a place in the broader selection.
In midfield, the national team must cope without the suspended Roméo Lavia. VoetbalNieuws.be said that Nicolas Raskin stands as the logical replacement alongside Tielemans and Kevin De Bruyne.
Van Bommel has many attacking options, including the return of Jérémy Doku to the squad, according to HLNPOLL. Romelu Lukaku remains an injury doubt.
“Ik ben nu bij de Rode Duivels en focus me helemaal op de match tegen Turkije. Straks gaat mijn focus weer naar Manchester United,” Tielemans told reporters when questioned about his club’s league position, as reported by HLNPOLL.
Since taking charge, van Bommel has tried to implement a higher defensive block and a more dominant style of play. The manager said that while those phases appeared only briefly against France, they lasted much longer in victories over Italy and a 3-0 win against Turkey in Liège.
Turkey enters Thursday’s match under new management following the appointment of head coach Sergen Yalçin, prompting van Bommel to anticipate a different tactical setup at the Gürsel Aksel Stadium compared to their previous meeting under Vincenzo Montella.
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