Debast’s partial comeback vs Trossard’s load‑managed rest at Belgium camp

After a day of rest, Belgium’s national team reconvened for training, but the squad’s composition highlighted a stark contrast: central defender Zeno Debast of Sporting Portugal made a partial return to the Providence Swedish Performance Center, while player Leandro Trossard sat out under a load‑management plan. Zeno Debast, the central defender who plays for Sporting Portugal, finally left his rehabilitation room and elliptical bike to step onto the grass at the Providence Swedish Performance Center in Renton. After a final positive medical scan, he received clearance to resume training on a partial basis. Debast joined the Belgium warm‑up on Sunday morning, taking part for a few minutes before the pace quickened. He then moved into an individual session to continue his gradual reintegration. The rest of the squad was nearly complete, with only one player missing from the session. That absentee was Leandro Trossard, whose name was the sole omission.

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The federation explained Trossard’s absence as a load‑management decision following his involvement in almost all three group‑stage matches and a hard challenge against New Zealand. The approach aims to preserve his fitness ahead of the knockout phase. Debast is unlikely to have accumulated enough leg work to be counted among the starting eleven for Wednesday’s round‑of‑16 clash with Senegal. Nonetheless, coach Rudi Garcia could still place him on the bench to ease his re‑entry after weeks on the sidelines. Garcia’s routine includes a closed‑door training session on Monday, a practice he habitually holds two days before a match. The day‑before‑match session will remain open for a few minutes to accommodate press attendance. The divergent paths of Debast’s cautious comeback and Trossard’s managed rest underscore Garcia’s need to balance squad freshness with competitive readiness as Belgium prepares for the Senegal encounter.