Belgium face the prospect of entering the European Championship 2020 quarter-final against Italy without both Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard.
The two superstars were injured in the 16th victory over Portugal and have only been able to manage very minimal training before Friday’s match. The chances that they will be small at all, let alone start.
It’s obviously not perfect, but let’s look at the positive. There may be two holes to fill behind Romelu Lukaku, and Rennes star Jeremy Doku may well stop taking one of them.
We have already seen a glimpse of what Doku can offer this summer. The teenager has largely been glued to the bench but got a run-out in the last group match against Finland, where Doku almost stole the show.
In 75 minutes, Doku was Belgium’s brightest spark on the pitch. He was a real threat in the attack, running towards defenders and creating the kind of devastation he made a regular occurrence during his time with Anderlecht earlier in his career.
Doku beamed against Finland / Isosport / MB Media / Getty Images
He may not have De Bruyne’s vision or Hazard’s movement, but Doku has the same kind of game-changing talent that could be crucial to Belgium’s hopes of finally realizing their potential.
The left side of Italy’s defense could be seen as a weak point. Leonardo Spinazzola has been outstanding all summer but is susceptible to falling out of position due to his responsibility in the attack, and he may struggle to come back if he chases a speed demon like Doku.
Should Doku get past Spinazzola, he will imagine a foot race against which midfielder he will come face to face with. None of Giorgio Chiellini, Francesco Acerbi or Alessandro Bastoni will want anything to do with their agility.
It is the movement that can see Doku give the nod to Roberto Martinez. Yannick Carrasco and Dries Mertens are both impressive dribblers, but neither of them has the same level of explosive agility as Doku, whose incredible ability to hit a defender sets him apart from the rest.
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?? Jéremy Doku vs Belarus = ⚽️? ️? ️ # WCQ | @BelRedDevils | @JeremyDoku pic.twitter.com/iXJVP4h1ON
– UEFA EURO 2020 (@ EURO2020) 5 April 2021
Doku has long been described as the potential successor to Hazard’s throne in the Belgian national team, and this feels a lot like it could be a union moment.
He has never played in a match as big as the quarter-finals of a European Championship against Italy, but Doku will not be spoiled by the opportunity and knows that a great achievement can take his career to a whole new level.
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