Lukaku Fit and Motivated for World Cup, Says Belgium Coach Garcia

Belgium's star striker Romelu Lukaku is on track for the World Cup, according to coach Rudi Garcia, who insists the player's fitness and form are not a concern. This assurance comes despite Lukaku having played only an hour of competitive football this season for Napoli, making seven substitute appearances and scoring once in February.

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I've never seen a player as motivated as he is.

Lukaku joined the Belgian national team in March to rehabilitate a hamstring injury. However, his status as the country's leading scorer, with 89 goals in 124 appearances, prompted Garcia to gamble on his fitness for the tournament. The coach expressed satisfaction with this decision, noting Lukaku's exceptional motivation.

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I'm not worried about Romelu's injury, but he has played very little.

"I've never seen a player as motivated as he is," Garcia told reporters. "I'm not worried about Romelu's injury, but he has played very little. He is better than I expected and scores a lot in training."

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He is better than I expected and scores a lot in training.

Garcia acknowledged that Lukaku is not yet ready for a full 90 minutes but anticipates he could feature as a substitute. "It's also logical that he's not yet ready to start. He is still a long way from being able to play 90 minutes, but he could come on as a substitute," he said. The coach remains optimistic about Lukaku's potential contribution later in the tournament, despite his long road back from injury.

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It's also logical that he's not yet ready to start. He is still a long way from being able to play 90 minutes, but he could come on as a substitute.