Euro 2016: Belgium and Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen sidelined for two months with torn ankle ligaments
With Vincent Kompany missing the tournament through injury and Thomas Vermaelen suspended for the Wales game, Belgium will turn to youngsters Jason Denayer and Jordan Lukaku
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Your support makes all the difference.Jan Vertonghen will miss the start of the Premier League season with Tottenham after plunging Belgium into a defensive crisis ahead of the Euro 2016 quarter-final against Wales.
Vertonghen is set to be sidelined for up to two months with torn ankle ligaments sustained during training ahead of Friday’s last eight clash in Lille.
With Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany missing the tournament through injury and Thomas Vermaelen suspended for the Wales game, Belgium coach Marc Wilmots is set to turn to youngsters Jason Denayer and Jordan Lukaku as his team bids to reach a major semi-final for the first time since the 1986 World Cup.
"We have lost Kompany, Vermaelen is suspended and Vertonghen is our vice-captain,” Wilmots said. "We have a tricky tie against Wales, but Lukaku and Denayer give us options.
"It happens in a tournament. Sometimes the player who comes in can surprise you and do well, but Vertonghen is a big loss for us, I cannot deny that.”
Wilmots confirmed that Vertonghen suffered the injury in freak circumstances at the end of Belgium’s training session on Thursday.
"I blew the whistle to stop the session,” Wilmots said. “Jan went down to control the ball and he turned his ankle. He has had a scan in Lille and he has torn two of the three ligaments.
"I'm not going talk about tragedy because there are more important things in life, but it is a huge blow for him.
"Mentally and physically, he has been at his very best condition. The cause of the injury was a move he would have done 10,000 times before, but it has happened and his Euro 2016 is over.
"Based on our forecasts, it would be 6-8 weeks before he is playing again. He had the same injury some months ago and came back in six weeks.
"We have been in touch with Spurs and Mauricio Pochettino to discuss his treatment and we will hope everything works out ok.”
With the northern French city of Lille just ten miles from the Belgian border, Wilmots’ team are set to backed by over 100,000 supporters in and around the city on Friday.
And with on-field problems mounting for the Red Devils, Wilmots admits that the huge travelling contingent can be a positive for his players.
"It's great to have the 12th man in the city,” Wilmots said. “We have had some tough blows to face, but we are trying to win with the tools at our disposal and the number of our fans will be a big help.”
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