Belgium faces a significant setback just before their World Cup quarter-final against Spain, as Youri Tielemans is forced out of the starting lineup due to injury.

The Red Devils captain was initially slated to partner with Nicolas Raskin in midfield but was replaced by Hans Vanaken from Club Brugge only 12 minutes before kick-off. Belgium announced on social media: “Following an injury during the warm-up, Youri Tielemans is replaced in the starting XI by Hans Vanaken.”

While the exact nature of Tielemans' injury remains unconfirmed, reports indicate that he has sustained a hamstring issue. His contributions have been crucial for Belgium, especially in their previous match against Senegal, where his late heroics secured a dramatic victory. Tielemans scored an equalizer in the 89th minute and converted a penalty in extra time, propelling Belgium into the last-16 against co-hosts USA.

In the match against the USA, Tielemans played the full game despite pre-match controversies, and Belgium emerged victorious with a dominant 4-1 scoreline. Vanaken, who came off the bench in that match, capitalized on a defensive blunder by the Americans to score and also provided an assist for Romelu Lukaku's goal.

Notably, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku, who were absent in the USA match, return to the lineup against Spain, who advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating Portugal.