‘I don’t think it was Romelu Lukaku’s fault!’ – Belgium striker defended by team-mate Jeremy Doku after World Cup failure

Belgium’s Jeremy Doku defended team-mate Romelu Lukaku after the striker’s shocking display against Croatia on Thursday. 

​Lukaku missed numerous chancesBelgium knocked outDoku defends team-mate

WHAT HAPPENED? Lukaku came on at half-time and could have won the game for his country but was unable to score. Afterward, he took out his frustration in the Belgium dugout. However, Doku believes the striker shouldn’t be singled out.

WHAT THEY SAID: “Yes, he missed chances but I don’t think it was his fault. We all wanted to win, we all knew what had to be done.” Doku told L’Equipe. “He had chances but it’s not just him, it’s everyone, we all tried to put ourselves in the best positions to score.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Belgium’s ‘golden generation’ seems to have come to an end after their elimination from the World Cup group stages. Their only win was a 1-0 result against Canada, who were also eliminated.

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WHAT NEXT FOR LUKAKU? Lukaku was visibly upset after the game, needing comforting from assistant coach Thierry Henry. He will now return to Inter, where he is on loan from Chelsea.