Belgium open their World Cup 2018 finals campaign against Panama tomorrow.
Both teams face each other for the first time and are competing in the same group as England and Tunisia, however, nothing but a win will satisfy Roberto Martinez’s men.
Belgium come into the tournament as one of the favourites given that they boast a host of genuine talent such as Kevin de Bruyne, Vincent Kompany, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois and talisman Eden Hazard.
Belgium come into the tournament full of confidence after Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Belgium cruised to a 4-1 victory against Costa Rica in their final World Cup warm-up match – however, Hazard limped off in the 70th minute – which prompted fears he could be a doubt.
However when asked about the severity of Hazard’s injury after the win, Belgium boss Roberto Martinez played down any fears of his injury and said, as per the Metro:
“Eden is okay, he had a little trouble, but it’s nothing to worry about.
“I really enjoyed his performance. He was sharp and strong, he was majestic.
“At the end he just came off because he had a little bit of a dead leg, a little bit of a knock on his leg.”
The Telegraph also reported that the Chelsea star should be fit as they hope to get their campaign to a winning start.
However, centre-backs Vincent Kompany (groin) and Thomas Vermaelen (hamstring) will be out of the game, as reported by Sky Sports.
Jose Luis Rodriguez also was a doubt after injuring himself in training, but should be fit to start as per the report from The Telegraph.
When is Belgium vs Panama and what time is kick-off?
The game will be on Monday, 18 June at 4pm (BST) at Fisht Olympic stadium in Sochi.
Belgium vs Panama World Cup 2018 Live Stream and TV Channel
The match will be televised live on BBC One. Viewers can stream the match online via the BBC iPlayer, providing they have a valid TV licence.
Belgium vs Panama odds
Belgium – 1/6
Draw – 7/1
Panama – 22/1
Belgium World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Koen Casteels (VfL Wolfsburg).
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain), Thomas Vermaelen (Barcelona), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham), Dedryck Boyata (Celtic), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City).
Midfielders: Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Axel Witsel (Tianjin Quanjian), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Nacer Chadli (West Bromwich Albion), Leander Dendoncker (Anderlecht), Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur).
Forwards: Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea/Dortmund), Yannick Carrasco (Dalian Yifang), Adnan Januzaj (Real Sociedad), Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United), Dries Mertens (Napoli).
Panama World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Jaime Penedo (Dinamo Bucharest), Jose Calderon (Chorrillo FC), Alex Rodriguez (San Francisco FC).
Defenders: Michael Murillo (New York Red Bulls), Harold Cummings (San Jose Earthquakes), Fidel Escobar (New York Red Bulls), Roman Torres (Seattle Sounders FC), Adolfo Machado (Houston Dynamo), Eric Davis (DAC Dunajska Streda), Luis Ovalle (CD Olimpia), Felipe Baloy (CSD Municipal).
Midfielders: Gabriel Gomez (Atletico Bucaramanga), Edgar Barcenas (Cafetaleros de Tapachula), Armando Cooper (Club Universidad de Chile), Valentin Pimentel (Plaza Amador), Alberto Quintero (Universitario Lima), Anibal Godoy (San Jose Earthquakes), Jose Luis Rodriguez (KAA Gent).
Forwards: Blas Perez (CSD Municipal), Gabriel Torres (CD Huachipato), Ismael Diaz (Deportivo La Coruña), Abdiel Arroyo (LD Alajuelense), Luis Tejada (Sport Boys).