Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne and Jeremy Doku are set to represent Belgium in the upcoming Euro 2024, while Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois finds himself excluded from the roster.
The preliminary 25-man squad boasts several Premier League luminaries, including Leandro Trossard from Arsenal, Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa, Amadou Onana from Everton, Wout Faes from Leicester, and Timothy Castagne from Fulham.
Axel Witsel, the 35-year-old defender from Atletico Madrid, surprisingly returns to the fold after retiring from international football last year.
Romelu Lukaku, the prolific striker on loan from Chelsea to Roma, and Belgium's all-time leading goal scorer, secures his spot in the squad.
Courtois, with 102 caps, recently recovered from an ACL injury but was overlooked for selection by head coach Domenico Tedesco, who emphasized a preference for players in optimal physical condition, indicating a "focusing on players who are in good shape" policy.
Tedesco opts for Koen Casteels from Wolfsburg, Thomas Kaminski from Luton, and Matz Sels from Nottingham Forest as the goalkeeping trio.
The decision to exclude Courtois follows a reported disagreement between the player and the team management, stemming from an incident last June when Courtois allegedly declined to join the squad after being passed over for the captaincy.
Tedesco clarifies the situation, stating, "Courtois was very clear and honest and early in his communication. The latest information we received is that he is not ready for the European Championships. He knows his body best."
Belgium retains the option to add one more player to the squad until UEFA's 7th June deadline.
In Group E alongside Romania, Ukraine, and Slovakia, Belgium will commence their Euro 2024 campaign against Slovakia in Frankfurt on 17th June.
Belgium Squad for Euro 2024:
Goalkeepers:
Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest), Koen Casteels (Wolfsburg), Thomas Kaminski (Luton)
Defenders:
Wout Faes (Leicester), Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Arthur Theate (Rennes), Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht), Axel Witsel (Atletico Madrid), Zeno Debast (Anderlecht), Thomas Meunier (Trabzonspor), Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge)
Midfielders:
Aster Vranckx (Wolfsburg), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Orel Mangala (Lyon), Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Arthur Vermeeren (Atletico Madrid), Amadou Onana (Everton)
Forwards:
Romelu Lukaku (Roma), Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Lois Openda (Leipzig), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal), Johan Bakayoko (PSV Eindhoven), Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla), Yannick Carrasco (Al-Shabab)
