Van Bommel begins his mission with the "Courtois blow": Belgium's squad reveals surprises

What is the reason for the absence?

Belgium coach Mark van Bommel has named his first squad ahead of four UEFA Nations League matches, starting with Italy on 25 September, France on 28 September, Turkey on 2 October and a return meeting with France on 5 October. Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois misses out.

Van Bommel used the squad announcement press conference to reveal he had reached an agreement with Courtois over the absence. The door to a return remains open, though, and the coach was quick to praise the shot-stopper, whom he described as "still world-class".

Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku headline a group packed with Belgium's biggest names. Young forward Mathias Fernandez-Pardo also makes the cut.

Youri Tielemans keeps the captain's armband, Van Bommel confirmed, with the coach set to build initially around a 4-3-3.

Contact with Lukaku and a face-to-face meeting with De Bruyne in Naples convinced Van Bommel of his players' commitment, both on the pitch and in the dressing room. He does not, however, expect Lukaku to feature in all four matches during the international break.

Also missing are Axel Witsel, who has retired from international football, and Jérémy Doku through injury. Alexis Saelemaekers and Thomas Meunier drop out too.

Saelemaekers' exclusion does not shut the door on him in future, Van Bommel insisted, while he told Meunier he simply prefers other options for now. The defender's international career is not over.

Van Bommel took charge of Belgium on 15 August, replacing Rudi Garcia and inheriting a run of tough fixtures. He wants to rebuild the side while keeping his experienced heads and handing chances to a new generation.

Belgium squad

Goalkeepers: Senne Lammens, Mike Penders, Maarten Vandevoordt, Jarne De Busser.

Defence: Timothy Castagne, Maxim De Cuyper, Zeno Debast, Koni De Winter, Brandon Mechele, Nathan Ngoy, Kiryani Sabbe, Joaquin Seys, Arthur Theate.

Midfield: Kevin De Bruyne, Mandela Keita, Romeo Lavia, Nicolas Raskin, Youri Tielemans, Hans Vanaken.

Attack: Charles De Ketelaere, Malick Fofana, Mathias Fernandez-Pardo, Mika Godts, Romelu Lukaku, Dodi Lukebakio, Diego Moreira, Loïs Openda, Leandro Trossard.