Belgian defender Bjorn Engels ruled out of Euros

Club Bruges defender will be sidelined for up to four weeks with groin injury

Belgian defender Bjorn Engels has been ruled out of the European Championships with a groin injury. Photograph: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Wed May 18 2016 - 18:47

Belgian defender Bjorn Engels has been ruled out of Euro 2016 because of a groin injury, the coach Marc Wilmots said on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old from newly crowned champions Club Bruges had been named in a 24-man squad by Wilmots last week but then doctors said he would be sidelined for between three and four weeks.

“Just received confirmation from the doctors that Bjorn Engels is out of the European Championship,” Wilmots tweeted.

Engels played a full 90 minutes for his club in the title-winning 4-0 triumph over Anderlecht on Sunday but the injury saw him withdraw earlier in the week from Thursday’s penultimate game of the season against Zulte Waregem.

Belgium are drawn in Group E of Euro 2016 with the Republic of Ireland, Sweden and Italy.