The big news: Fresh injury concerns for Kompany?

Belgium were held to a 1-1 draw by Netherlands in a friendly in Amsterdam on Wednesday. Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen put the Dutch ahead from the penalty spot to send early jitters in the first half. However, Yannick Carrasco netted a late equaliser in the second for Belgium to salvage a draw.

But yet again, Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany was a casualty as he was withdrawn from Belgium’s starting team. The reason for Belgium boss Roberto Martinez to replace him with Watford’s Christian Kabasele was not known. The 30-year-old defender has been hampered by injury in recent seasons.

Other top stories:

  1. Former Chelsea player Romelu Lukaku will have to leave Everton if he has reach his full potential, said Everton manager Ronald Koeman. The striker joined the Toffees on loan in 2013 before signing for a club-record £28 million in July 2014. “His potential is greater and higher than Everton as a final destination,” Koeman told Belgian newspaper HLN. “If Romelu was to play at Everton until the end of his career I know he has left something behind,” he added.
  2. Sunderland midfielder Didier Ndong was sent back to England for being absent from national duty. Ndong did not turn up for Gabon and was packed off to England, the Gabonese Football Federation says. Ndong was to play in a World Cup qualifier against Mali on Saturday. The federation accuse him of a “glaring absence” and lack of communication if he was in any trouble of sorts.
  3. Delhi Dynamos thrashed Chennaiyin FC 4-1 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday to go on top of the table in the Indian Super League and also register their third win on the trot. Goals from Richard Gadze, Florent Malouda, who scored a brace and Kean Lewis saw Delhi complete the rout. Chennaiyin pulled one back with Bernard Mendy scoring the goal.
  4. High-flying Mumbai City FC will take on Pune City FC at the Mumbai Football Arena on Thursday. Mumabi, who are on a three-match winning streak, will hope for a win so that they propel themselves to the top of the table.
  5. In a rare incident, a fan was selected to act as a fourth official in a football game. The incident occurred in Newport County when a fan was picked from the crowd to act as a fourth official during their League Cup win over Wimbledon. The fan ensured the match avoided being abandoned after an injury to referee Andy Davies, who pulled a hamstring.
  6. Mohun Bagan have failed to secure an AFC licence because coach Sanjoy Sen does not have a pro-licence certificate and the Cooperage Stadium in Mumbai is not at par with the Asian Football Confederation requirements, I-League CEO Sunando Dhar said. Barring Bengaluru FC none of the I-League clubs could fulfill all mandatory Grade A criteria of the Indian club licensing regulations 2016-17. “A few failed on the infrastructure and stadium counts while some did not have pro licence coaches like Mohun Bagan. Not only that, Mohun Bagan showed Cooperage Stadium as the venue for AFC Cup matches, which was not sufficient. Mumbai FC also failed on that count,” Dhar told IANS.