Doku And De Ketelaere Withdraw From Belgium's Nations League Squad Ahead Of Key Matches

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Jeremy Doku from Manchester City has pulled out of Belgium's Nations League squad for matches against Italy and Israel. This makes him the fifth player from Pep Guardiola's team to withdraw from international duty this month. Doku, aged 22, was absent from City's recent loss to Brighton but had played in previous games against Bournemouth and Sporting CP.

Despite his absence, Doku has been productive this season with two goals and two assists across all competitions. He also leads the Premier League in dribbles completed for Manchester City with 21. Meanwhile, Atalanta's Charles De Ketelaere is another significant absentee due to a hamstring injury that kept him out of their 2-1 victory over Udinese.

De Ketelaere has contributed significantly to Atalanta with seven goal involvements in Serie A, only trailing Ademola Lookman and Mateo Retegui in contributions. Joaquin Seys, who received his first senior call-up for Belgium, will also miss out following a leg injury sustained while playing for Club Brugge.

Lyon's Malick Fofana is another player who has withdrawn from the squad. In response to these absences, Domenico Tedesco has added four new players to the Belgian team. Juventus' Samuel Mbangula, RB Leipzig's Arthur Vermeeren, Sevilla's Albert Sambi Lokonga, and Anderlecht's Killian Sardella have been called up to fill the gaps.

Belgium currently occupies third place in Group A2 of the Nations League. To advance to the quarter-finals, they must secure victories in both upcoming matches. They will face group leaders Italy in Brussels on Thursday before travelling to Budapest for a match against Israel three days later.

The changes in Belgium's squad reflect their need to adapt quickly amidst injuries as they aim for success in their upcoming fixtures.