Lukaku Still Not Ready To Start For Belgium, Garcia Says

Rudi Garcia has moved to cool talk around Romelu Lukaku before Belgium start the World Cup, stressing there will be no rush to restore the forward as an automatic starter, even after a goalscoring return in the final warm-up match against Croatia at Stadion HNK Rijeka.

Belgium open their Group G schedule against Egypt on 15 June in North America, then face Iran and New Zealand in the remaining first-stage fixtures. Before that, the Red Devils meet Tunisia at Stade Roi Baudouin on Saturday, where Lukaku is expected to feature only in a limited role from the bench.

Garcia underlined that a careful build-up is vital for Lukaku after long fitness issues at club level. The Napoli forward had an injury-affected 2025-26 season, suffering hamstring and muscle problems. Lukaku made only seven appearances as a substitute in all competitions, with very little sustained training time with the full squad.

Despite that disrupted campaign, the 33-year-old was included in Belgium’s 26-player World Cup squad. Lukaku boosted confidence with a goal in the 2-0 friendly win over Croatia on Tuesday, when captain Youri Tielemans also scored. That strike took Lukaku to 90 international goals, extending the national scoring record.

His World Cup scoring record is also significant. Lukaku now has five World Cup goals, which is the joint-highest tally for any Belgian player at the tournament, matching Marc Wilmots. The Croatia match therefore provided a strong reminder of Lukaku’s importance, even while Belgium monitor fitness and minutes very closely.

Garcia warned that expectations must remain realistic, especially before facing Tunisia at Stade Roi Baudouin. We must keep our feet on the ground, Garcia told reporters. We must not rush anything. I was very happy with Romelu's goal against Croatia, just like the rest of the squad. That's very important because Romelu lives to score goals. Mentally, that was therefore very positive. But the big danger now is that you – the media and the supporters – will start thinking that he is completely ready again. He has come a long way and still has some distance to go. Thinking that he will start against Egypt is still far too premature.

Garcia expanded on the physical condition of Lukaku, underlining that the forward still needs a gradual load. He has barely played this season and has hardly even trained with the group, Garcia added. So more time will be needed to get him ready to play for more than half an hour. Especially if we want to keep him fit. There is a very good chance that he will play around 25 minutes against Tunisia, but it is unlikely to be much more than that.

Belgium’s Group G fixtures at the World Cup in North America are set as follows:

While Lukaku continues to build fitness, Leandro Trossard arrives as one of Belgium’s in-form players. The Arsenal midfielder comes into the tournament following a strong club season. Trossard contributed 18 goal involvements, with eight goals and 10 assists across 50 matches in all competitions.

Trossard also helped Arsenal end a 22-year wait for the Premier League title, although the club missed out on European success. Arsenal reached the Champions League final but lost on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain. Trossard joined the Belgium squad later than some team-mates because of that showpiece involvement.

The midfielder believes that recent club experiences, both positive and negative, can lift Belgium’s World Cup effort. It's very good when players arrive here having won titles, but that doesn't change your status, Trossard said. Not mine either, but I will try to bring that experience into the national team. We've had a very good season with Arsenal. Of course, it's disappointing how the Champions League ended. Penalty shoot-outs are a lottery, and it was stressful to experience it from the sidelines. But we've still had a fantastic season, and we're very proud of winning the English title.

Belgium therefore approach the World Cup with Lukaku on a carefully controlled plan and Trossard carrying confidence from domestic success. Garcia’s staff aim to balance short-term results in Group G with longer-term fitness for their record scorer, while drawing on form players to support the attack across the tournament.