Sporting: Debast Happy to Return to Training at World Cup

Sporting's Zeno Debast was the player chosen by the Belgian Football Association to speak at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Red Devils' clash with Senegal, scheduled for Wednesday (9 PM CET).

The defender confirmed that he might make his return to competitive action in the World Cup match against the African side. “The MRI scan I underwent showed positive signs. Everything is progressing as expected. I can partially train with the team. Today is the first time I've worked a bit with the group, so we'll see how I feel for the game. I'm not tired of the gym, but I confess I'm happy to be back on the pitch,” said the center-back, who was called up by Rudi Garcia for the tournament but hasn't played yet due to a muscular thigh injury.

This issue had caused some concern among the Sporting faithful due to the prolonged recovery, but everything is now under control. “Sporting is in contact with the federation. There's good communication between the doctors,” he stated, without setting a specific return date. “I don't want to put pressure on myself. I've had a few injuries this season, and I want to help as much as possible, but under the best conditions,” he added. “I'm not frustrated, although it's not easy to be in the gym while they're playing, but I'm working hard,” he declared. The tough times are now behind the 22-year-old footballer, who was signed from Anderlecht in 2024. “When I got injured, I thought I was going to miss the World Cup. But we immediately focused on my return. I got injured after a shot in training,” he revealed.