Mark van Bommel picks Lavia, Godts and Sabbe for Red Devils squad

Mark van Bommel announced his first squad on Friday afternoon as the national team coach of the Red Devils. He called up goalkeeper Jari De Busser, Club Brugge right‑back Kyriani Sabbe, midfielder Roméo Lavia (Chelsea) and forward Mika Godts (Paris Saint‑Germain), while Thomas Meunier and Alexis Saelemaekers are absent.

Debutants and return to the squad

With the four‑man in the new League campaign, the Dutchman opts for two debutants in defence. Jari De Busser, the 26‑year‑old goalkeeper of AZ Alkmaar, gets the role of fourth keeper. Kyriani Sabbe, right‑back of Club Brugge, takes over the same position. In midfield, Roméo Lavia, who is under contract with Chelsea, returns to the squad.

Mika Godts, who recently played for Paris Saint‑Germain, also makes his debut for the Red Devils. Alongside the newcomers, experienced players Kevin De Bruyne, Hans Vanaken and Mandela Keita remain retained. Axel Witsel is no longer called up, and the forwards Thomas Meunier and Alexis Saelemaekers are missing from the list.

“In Naples I had a good conversation with Kevin. I wanted to know if he is still fully behind it 100 percent. And I felt that,” said Van Bommel.

Kevin De Bruyne pushes younger Red Devils to lead in Nations League

Goalkeepers and alternatives

Besides De Busser, Senne Lammens, Maarten Vandevoordt and Mike Penders remain on the radar as possible fourth keepers. Lucca Brughmans seemed a logical candidate, a young KRC Genk talent who left for Liverpool last summer for €35 million. Thibaut Courtois has indicated he will skip the Nations League and Matz Sels has confirmed that he is retiring as a Red Devil.

The Red Devils will face Italy, France and Turkey in the Nations League in the coming weeks. The two remaining matches are scheduled for mid‑November. These confrontations constitute a crucial phase for Van Bommel to test his squad and shape it towards Euro 2028.

Kevin De Bruyne confirms resilience with the Red Devils

With the initial selections, the Dutchman hopes to lay a dynamic foundation for the upcoming qualifiers. His earlier success at Royal Antwerp shows that he can perform under pressure.