Doku out of Belgium's World Cup game against Iran

Winger Jeremy Doku will not play for Belgium in their second World Cup group match against Iran at SoFi Stadium because he is ill. The Belgian team shared this news on Saturday.

Rudi Garcia's team will meet Iran on Sunday. They want to improve after their first match ended in a 1-1 draw with Egypt. But they will have to do this without Doku, who plays for Manchester City.

Belgium announced on social media, "Due to illness, Jeremy Doku will not be part of the squad for our upcoming game against Iran."

Doku played against Egypt but had a tough time making an impact. He was replaced by Matias Fernandez-Pardo in the 86th minute.

The 24-year-old might also miss a match in the knockout stage. His wife is expected to give birth to their first child in the second week of July.

Doku is considered one of the best young players in Belgium's team. They are trying to rebuild after their ‘golden generation’ fell apart, which led to their exit in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.