Kevin De Bruyne won’t be fit for Belgium's opening game at Euro 2020, admits Roberto Martinez
Roberto Martinez has confirmed that Kevin De Bruyne will be unavailable for Belgium's Euro 2020 opening game after his injury in the Champions League final. The Belgian head coach also confirmed that while De Bruyne will make his return after that, he will have to wear a mask for the tournament.
While playing in the Champions League final, a collision with Antonio Rudier forced Kevin De Bruyne off the field earlier than anyone expected with the Belgian walking away looking groggy and with a swollen face. After the game, he confirmed that he had numerous fractures bones in both his nose and his face, but avoided the need for surgery which has been seen as a welcome boost for Belgium especially with the Euro 2020 less than one week away.
It has seen Roberto Martinez highlight De Bruyne's importance to the Belgium squad suggesting that the star midfielder is set to play on with a protective mask. Working with the same company responsible for producing teammate Jan Vertoghen’s mask, Martinez has expressed faith in the process highlighting that although Kevin is unfit for the first few games and will be slowly integrated into the team setup as the tournament moves along.
"De Bruyne is unlikely to be fit for that first match so whoever replaces him will have to show he's ready. We made a decision about his mask. It will be one of the producers who made Jan Vertonghen's mask. We were very satisfied with that. I would say that until next week we won't know exactly where we are with Kevin. Now, allow him to relax. He could be available for the Euros but we don't know when at the moment. It's too early to give you an answer now, we must first get the green light from the medical side," Martinez said, reported Goal.