Why isn’t Kevin De Bruyne playing for Belgium in round of 16 match against the United States

Belgium are set for a round of 16 encounter with co-host of the World Cup, the USMNT, and manager Rudi Garcia is keeping one of his stars on the bench.

STEPHEN BRASHEAR
Update:

Belgium take on the United States in a round of 16 match from Seattle and and the XI’s are out as we approach kickoff. Manager Rudi Garcia has made a shock move by not playing one of the stars of Belgium’s golden generation.

De Bruyne benched

Kevin De Bruyne has been kept on the bench to start the match against the United States. The Napoli midfielder has been in the starting XI in each of the first four matches for Belgium, but Garcia is changing things up for this knockout match against the US.

This is how Garcia’s XI looks from Seattle: Courtois in goal with De Cuyper, Ngoy, Mechele and Castagne in the back with Raskin, Onana and Tielemans in the midfield. Trossard, Lukebakio and De Ketelaere are up top as De Bruyne and Lukaku start on the bench.

It will be Onana, Rakins and Tielemans in the middle as De Bruyne Romelu Lukaku and Jeremy Doku are kept on the bench to start the match. All three are available, and could come on as subs later in the match.

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