Belgium head coach Mark Van Bommel has trimmed his matchday squad for Monday night’s UEFA Nations League fixture against France at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, leaving out five players from his broader 28-man roster. Under tournament regulations, only 23 players can be named on the official match sheet for each encounter, forcing Van Bommel to make difficult cuts ahead of every fixture.
Squad Adjustments and Personnel Changes for the France Clash
For the home match against France, the five players omitted from the matchday 23 are goalkeeper Mike Penders, defender Arthur Theate, defender Kyriani Sabbe, winger Malick Fofana, and forward Leandro Trossard. This selection marks a notable shift from Belgium’s opening match of the international window against Italy in Rome, particularly in the defensive department. Theate, who featured in the matchday squad for the Friday fixture at the Stadio Olimpico, drops out of the 23-player list for Monday.
Conversely, Koni De Winter returns to the active matchday squad after missing out on the selection against Italy. Meanwhile, Sabbe and Fofana find themselves among the unused squad members for the second fixture, signaling a consistent challenge for playing time during this busy international period as Van Bommel evaluates different tactical combinations across his deep roster.
Fitness Concerns Sideline Penders and Trossard
While tactical choices account for several omissions, physical setbacks continue to sideline key contributors. Goalkeeper Mike Penders did not travel with the squad to Rome due to a minor quadriceps injury. The young shot-stopper trained individually last week and remains unavailable for selection against France.
Leandro Trossard is similarly sidelined due to a traumatic bone edema in his calcaneus heel bone. Turkish club Beşiktaş previously confirmed that diagnostic scans, including MRI and CT examinations, revealed the injury after the Red Devils attacker reported persistent heel pain. Treatment protocols were initiated immediately following the diagnosis, ruling him out of Monday’s UEFA Nations League match sheet.
Managing a Heavy Four-Match International Window
Van Bommel deliberately called up an expanded 28-player squad to manage a demanding schedule featuring four international fixtures in quick succession. After opening their campaign away against Italy on Friday, the Red Devils host France on Monday evening at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
The fixture congestion continues later in the week. Belgium will welcome Turkey to home soil on Friday, October 2, before traveling to face France once again in the reverse fixture on Monday, October 5. With two matches already completed or underway, squad rotation and fitness management remain central to the technical staff’s strategy throughout this autumn international window.
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